


No Way Out

by Bloody_Willamina



Category: Iron Fist (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Incest, M/M, Pedophilia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2018-12-09 05:12:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 103,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11662308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bloody_Willamina/pseuds/Bloody_Willamina
Summary: Ward has been suffering chronic abuse from his father since he was a kid, and it's only gotten worse in his adult years. Too late Ward realizes that Harold has total control over him and his life, and finds himself alone to face the monster. Turning to pills, denial, and detached acceptance to cope, Ward see's his life begin to spiral out of control. When Danny Rand returns from the dead, Ward only succeeds in pushing the younger man away. Isolated and alone, Harold gets closer to destroying Ward completely.





	1. Acedia

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Ward's Tale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10499910) by [toggledog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/toggledog/pseuds/toggledog). 



> A special thanks to toggledog's, "Ward's Tale." I was heavily inspired and influenced by their story, as well as Season 1 of Iron Fist (of course). 
> 
> No Way Out, takes place a week before the first episode, and there will be flashbacks/nightmares involved (that will be in italics to avoid confusion). I have only 'sort of' outlined the first 8 chapters of this story (so far), so I am not sure if Ward/Danny will actually be endgame, or just become friends/"brothers". I also plan to keep the story close to canon, but it will inevitably diverge from canon, as I will be getting Danny/Ward closer as friends (or more) earlier then season 1 did. There may also be Harold/Danny, and Harold/Joy elements (but will be one-sided).

_Solitude was his go to, ever since his mother had passed away. Joy had been too young to really know what had happened to their mother, and while he was young as well, he understood that she was gone and he'd never see her again. Never hear her voice again. He wiped furiously at the tears threatening to fall down his face and he ripped out the page in his notebook and crumpled it into a ball and threw it against the wall of his bedroom. Joy had asked him a few times when their mother was coming home, but after the last time, after he had snapped at her and told her never, Joy had since stopped bugging him about it. He noticed that Joy was spending more and more time with their father, and Ward thought nothing of it. He wouldn't admit to being jealous, even if he were. But he was doing it to himself, being alone, without his sister or father to help him through it. He didn't even have Danny to rely on. Danny was younger than him, and like Joy he didn't completely grasp death yet. He couldn't draw, and trying to write his chaotic thoughts down on paper hadn't helped him either._

_It had been two weeks since her death, and he was still blubbering on. He was a normal ten year old boy, slightly higher IQ than others, and more mature for his age, enough to understand certain concepts that most didn't have to deal with until they were older. But he saw the way his dad looked at him every time he was caught crying. It was a weakness, something men didn't do, something a Meachum didn't do. And he saw his father's disappointed face every time a tear slipped down his cheek. He had never been terribly close with either of his parents, but with his mother, he knew she loved him, got him into a school suited for his higher IQ, wanting him to reach his potential, despite it taking away from time he could have spent with her...before the end. He sniffled again, at his thoughts, and wiped at his eyes. There was no way he could afford his father barging into his room only to catch him sobbing. He'd never hear the end of his father's disappointment. Ward crawled out of bed to stare at himself in the mirror. His cheeks were damp and his eyes were red, and his hair was in disarray._

_After raking his small fingers through his hair, he dried at his cheeks and prayed his eyes wouldn't be noticeably red when he ran into his dad. The moment he opened his door, he could hear Joy laughing downstairs, coming from their living-room. Despite not knowing how to cope with his mothers death, hearing Joy laugh brought a smile to his own face. It made him want to try and be social, and if it only brought bad memories back, then he could always barricade himself in his room the next day. So he carefully stepped down the stairs and made his way to their large living-room. He pointedly ignored the pictures of his mother still hanging up on the walls, and peeked his head around to the scene before him. Joy was in their father's arms, as he swung her around the living-room. She was still laughing, and her large smile did brighten the room._

_He suspected that he'd never have a moment like that with his father, but it was nice to see Joy so carefree and smiling again after the death of their mother._ _Any previous jealousy he may have had, evaporated as he watched Harold set Joy down softly on the floor. However, his smile faded as he observed their father. His leer, at Joy, it was uncomfortable. Ward couldn't explain why, but it twisted his insides and he suddenly felt this strong urge to protect Joy. Harold was smirking down at Joy, with his hand on her shoulder, lingering there for too long a time, as his fingers stroked down her arm. Perhaps it had been harmless, and just Harold's affection for his daughter, the one thing he seemed to care about, showing through. And perhaps Ward had misread the signals, he was only ten after all. But that didn't stop him from marching between them and shoving Joy away._

_"Don't you think you've taken enough of dad's time from me?" He glowered, protecting her the only way he knew how, the Ward way._

_Joy only looked up at him with hurt eyes, and began to cry. "Daddy!"_

_Harold knelt down and cupped Joy's cheek, wiping away her tears. "Why don't you head to bed sweetheart, I'll be up in a moment to read you whatever bedtime story you want. And tomorrow, I'll take you to the Ice Cream Shoppe in the city. You love that place."_

_This had seemed to placate Joy, somewhat, but she still looked at Ward with wide and scared eyes. Harold grabbed Ward by his arm, before Ward had a chance to bolt and gave his princess a peck on the top of her head. "Don't you worry about your brother. Daddy will take care of him."_

_Ward began to flinch at the tight hold on his arm, but only cried out, after Joy had ran up the stairs and was out of the way. Harold used minimal force, letting his son fall onto his butt on the floor. He kicked at Ward's stomach while he was still on the ground. "You dare touch your sister? You could have really hurt her." Ward whimpered, his body instinctively going into the fetal position. "If you ever hurt her, Ward, I will make you regret it."_

_Ward had never been more frightened in his life and visibly flinched when Harold's hand came back at him. It didn't strike him down again, but instead stroked his cheek but with no affection or emotional attachment to his movements like he had just seen him do with Joy. "I will not tolerate jealousy between my two kids, son." He continued to stroke down his cheek to his chin. "But I have been spending a lot of time with Joy lately, so why don't we go to that park you like so much after we get ice cream." When Ward didn't respond right away, still too shocked from the blow to his stomach, he felt Harold fingers on his chin hold him tighter. Wincing he nodded his head. "Yeah...Yeah dad. Sounds good."_

_The hold on him loosened. "Be a good son, and head to bed now. I'll check on you and your sister in a few minutes."_

_Ward closed his eyes against the uneasy churn of his stomach, but hurriedly got up before his father could say anymore or unleash more disappointment in him. He seemed to be the only one who saw his fathers disappointment, his temper, and Ward clutched at his throbbing stomach wishing he'd never have to be subject to it again. There was a brief moment where he wanted to lock himself in the bathroom, throw up whatever remained of his dinner, and check on his stomach, but thought better of it. His father told him to head to bed, and he was scared what the punishment might be if he wasn't found in bed when his father came up to check on him. However, as soon as he was in bed, he couldn't shake the fear that gripped him. Ward lost the concept of time, not knowing how long he laid in bed, either waiting for his father, or waiting for sleep to overtake him. A sudden image of his father appeared above his face. Distorted and evil and Ward started flailing in his panic._

He screamed and shot up in bed, the sunlight coming in through his blinds indicating it was morning. **Just a dream then**.

Ward covered his face, not surprised to feel it covered in sweat. Most of his dream was gone, but he still remembered the kick to his gut and his fathers monstrous face looming over him. So it was probably a memory, a flashback. His brown eyes peeked out from beneath his hands and caught the time on his clock beside his bed. Ten minutes before his alarm was due to go off and only two hours before he had to head to the office. He shakily pulled the covers off him and stood up. He was shirtless, but wore long black silk bottoms. He made his way over to his bathroom and grimaced at himself in the mirror. The bruises on his shoulder were dark, though mottled in yellow. A sign they were healing and would be gone in a few days, as if it mattered any more. The deep black bruise streaking across his chest was another matter. It had been his most recent injury and it would probably take a week for that one to heal. His eyes, they were almost hollow as he observed the physical evidence on his body. Unable to look at himself in the mirror anymore, he turned away from it, to hop into the shower. Ward stood under the spray of the warm water. He didn't even notice when his tears ran freely down his face and mixed with the water. He stayed under long enough for the water to turn cold. As soon as it did, he quickly scrubbed down, groaning when his shoulder protested. Once he was sufficiently clean, he turned the water off, stepped out and grabbed a clean towel hanging from the bathroom wall. He dried off quickly, though was careful when it came to his chest and shoulder, and then secured the towel around his waist. His hair clung to his forehead, still dripping water down his face, but he couldn't stop staring at the stark contrast of his bruises against his clean skin. Going through his morning routine, like a robot, he didn't break free of his trance until the pain in his shoulder and chest stung while he was putting his shirt on. Registering that he was back in his bedroom with no recollection of how he got there, Ward ran a shaky hand over his face.

I'm losing it, he silently thought to himself. Like clockwork, the moment he put his clothes on and grabbed a tie, his cell phone went off. Please, please let it be Joy, Ward heard himself thinking it in a mantra. He didn't get passed Frank on the Caller ID, and a coldness overcame him. He took a couple breaths before he answered his phone. "What do you want this time?"

"Now Ward, is that any way to talk to your father?"

Ward gritted his teeth and pinched the bridge of his nose. Even though Harold was in his penthouse and could not physically get to him, he still found himself recoiling at the tone his father used on him. "Y-you're right. I'm sorry Dad." If he was lucky, his father wouldn't hit him, or....or anything worse since he apologized.

"That's better son. Now I need you to stop by the Penthouse before you head into work."

"Why? I was just there last night."

There was an exasperated sigh on Harold's end, that also made Ward inwardly cringe. "We have something important to discuss."

Ward licked at his trembling bottom lip, before he nodded. "Alright, I'll be over soon."

"Oh and Ward?"

"Yeah?"

"That tie doesn't go with your suit. Wear your dark blue one."

Ward flinched, looking around his bedroom. He didn't see anything out of place, but it hadn't been the first time Harold made a reference to knowing what he was doing or conversations he had just had. He knew deep down that Harold had listening devices and camera's on him and possibly Joy, both at work and in their homes. However, every search wielded zero results. Ward had to assume whoever Harold was working with or was indebted to was behind him never finding evidence against Harold.

* * *

 

With his hair slicked back, Ward gave his reflection one last look, readjusting the dark blue tie he had switched into, before he pressed the button for the elevator up to the penthouse. He nervously played with his hair on the ride up in the elevator, wondering just what his father needed of him this time. He was in talks about getting that Pier Harold mentioned to him a week ago, but business negotiations always took time. Fifteen years may have been a long time, but Harold wasn't that rusty, he couldn't have expected results this soon. And he had paid for going against Harold's recommendations in their latest CEO meeting. Unconsciously, he favored his left side, just thinking about the bruises underneath his suit. Harold had been quite cross with him and had taken a crowbar, **_where had he even gotten a crowbar_** , and gotten Ward across his chest. When Ward tried to stumble away, his father had grabbed him by the back of his neck and pushed him forward. Ward could still feel the rough texture of the carpet on his face. But he had been spun around and hit across his chest again. It had literally knocked the wind out of him, but he had gotten the point and apologized. He was only let go after he promised to fix his mess. The elevator doors opened, causing Ward to flinch in surprise. He cleared his throat and walked onto the fiftieth floor. Using the finger scanner, the door to Harold's suite opened and after bracing himself for whatever mood his father was in, he entered. He wasn't surprised to see Kyle sitting at his little desk, clacking away at his laptop and trying to pretend he wasn't secretly watching his progression across the floor. He nervously chuckled when Ward's eyes met his. "Mr. Ward Meachum. Nn-nice to see you again."

Ward tilted his head. "Where's my father?"

Sauntering in, Harold smirked at Kyle, before giving his attention to his son. "Relax, son."

In his hand was a hammer and Ward couldn't help but to eye it warily. Harold rose it slowly, and Ward resisted taking a step backward. He remained his ground as Harold stepped closer. "I was just breaking down some of the drawers Ward. I get restless, and I'm trying to pick up a new hobby."

"By breaking down drawers?"

"I need the wood to craft. And until Kyle there gets me my shipment of wood, I have to make do."

Kyle, all wide-eyed and scared, peered over his laptop. Boy did Ward know and understand that feeling. "Me sir? I...I'll get right on that shipment you want."

His fingers typed quicker in his haste to keep Harold pleased with his work.

"I want to talk about your meeting with Pond Incorporated that you have this afternoon Ward."

"Excuse me?" Ward was confused. "I don't have any meetings set up with ...Pond Incorporated." In truth, he'd never even heard of that company.

"Then you're going to set up a meeting with these people."

"People that don't exist?" Ward mocked and he knew as soon as he had said it, it had been a mistake. Like a light switch being turned on, Ward saw his father's demeanor change in an instant. Into that monster that plagued his nighttime with nightmares and memories that he so often tried to forget. His eyes widened slightly as he watched Harold's every move.

"Kyle." Harold barked.

"Yes sir?"

"Take the rest of the day off."

It was not even 8am, the day had barely begun, but Kyle didn't have to be told twice. He rarely got time off, so he was up and out of his seat so fast, Ward barely registered his departure. Good for Kyle, unfortunately, it wasn't good news for him. Harold pressed the top of the hammer into Ward's chest. He reeled backwards, but felt it safer not to turn his back on Harold for now.

"You always disappoint me son."

The insults and jabs were the same handful he had heard all his life, on repeat no less, but it still always hurt to hear them.

"I'll...I'll find a representative of Pond Incorporated, and set up a meeting. I'll take care of it. You can count on me."

Breathing a sigh of relief when the hammer was no longer pressed against his injured chest, he was not prepared for Harold to knee him in the gut. He sank to his knees, but fingers grabbed him roughly by his hair and yanked his head upwards. Harold's eyes glared down at him. "Why do you always make me hurt you Ward? Do you enjoy it?"

Ward hissed through his teeth trying to squirm away from his father's hold. His father's amused laughter and hollow eyes chilled him to the bone.

"I think you do. You would have just accepted this a long time ago, but no. You always fight me Ward. You must love the pain."

"No." Ward whimpered. "I don't. You're crazy."

"Joy would never fight me. She loves her daddy."

"Her daddy is dead." Ward shouted, tears already stinging his eyes at just the mention of Joy. His whole life, his miserable life, a life where he could only remember endless days and nights of abuse that all blurred together, was so Joy could grow up normally. And so far, he had succeeded in protecting his sister from the dark side of their father. "Don't you bring Joy into this. Don't you dare."

Joy was his krytonite, and Harold knew it. If there was anything Ward couldn't or didn't want to do, all Harold had to say, was Joy's name. Ward had limits to what he was capable of, but to protect his only sister, he'd do whatever was required of him. Just the thought of Joy, hurt by that man, in any way, was enough to set him on edge.

"I wouldn't have to bring her into this, if you weren't so incompetent." He released Ward's hair and when Ward didn't move, an oily smile spread across his face. He moved his hand to caress Ward's cheek, only to be disappointed when Ward jerked away from the touch. Harold tsked his son. "Joy's grown up. She's no longer my little girl, but a fine beautiful young woman."

Ward's bottom lip quivered slightly. "You wouldn't." But as much as he believed Harold actually loved Joy, the way a father was meant to love his daughter, Ward knew a different side to their father. He couldn't take the chance that he'd bring her up to his penthouse, beat her around and touch her. He loved Joy too much to call Harold on his bluff. If it wasn't a bluff, Ward would never forgive himself if anything happened to his sister. He lowered his head, admitting defeat, without saying the words. His hands curled into fists when Harold caressed Ward's face down to his neck. With his jaw clenched, he tried to detach himself from the situation when he felt Harold loosen his tie before taking it off.

"Stand up, Ward."

Ward was frozen to the spot he was kneeling at on the floor. **_I can do this....I can do this_** , He tried to tell himself. If for no other reason, then for Joy. But after fifteen years, he still couldn't force himself to fully submit to that man. He tried, because he knew one day, soon, Harold would get tired of constantly fighting with him, and find someone else easier to break. He hated himself for wishing it was Kyle, but after a lifetime of abuse; he would have preferred Harold using and dominating anyone else. But if Harold did focus on anyone else, it would be Joy. Trembling, he stood up, just like Harold wanted him to. He had to constantly remind himself that he was enduring all this for her, but he admitted that it got harder each time. That large, warm hand was back, gripping the back of his neck, and entangling his dark strands between his fingers. Ward closed his eyes, always hoping that it would make it easier. **_It didn't_**. A sob bubbled out of his throat when he felt his father start to unbutton his shirt.

"Please..." His plea went unheeded as Harold finished unbuttoning his shirt. Harold slipped it off his shoulders, and it bunched up at his wrists not seeming to care what he was doing to his son or what he was about to do. His body began trembling harder when he realized he was restrained and vulnerable. If he was scared or mad enough, he could get free, but he'd have to rip his shirt to do it.

"Ward." Came Harold's hused tone, his breath ghosting across his cheek. "You look just like your mother."

Harold grabbed him then, and those words triggered Ward's fight or flight instincts to kick in. He lurched away from his father's hold, doing whatever he could to be free, as he ignored the ache in his shoulder and chest. He struggled against Harold, enough that he had gotten free. Ward staggered backwards, but Harold was quick to catch up. Ward was pushed into the closest wall and his face and front side took the brunt of the blow. It dazed him, leaving Ward with little focus and blurry vision. He was vaguely aware of hands on him, but his brain couldn't catch up to what was actually happening to him. When his mind did clear, he was laying face down on the floor with his pants pooled around his ankles. With as many times as he had been naked in front of Harold, he still got insecure **every damn** time. His arms and hands were behind his back, and more tightly secured. Harold, no doubt, tied his shirt around his wrists to limit his mobility. Knowing what was about to happen, Ward rolled and wiggled, but none of his movements freed him.

"No, no, no, no." Ward moaned out; never realizing that he was actually saying it out loud.

He continued to squirm to prevent the inevitable, but knew he had lost the second Harold started to laugh from behind him. What was strange was that his laughter had an empty sound to it.

"It's like I said Ward. You love when I hurt you."

Ward jerked away, _**it wasn't true...it couldn't be true.**_

"I don't want this...I don't!"

"I don't care what you want, Ward." Harold grabbed Ward's hips hard enough to leave bruises.

A scream rang through the penthouse, as Harold sheathed the entire length of his cock into Ward, in one thrust. No lube was used, as he rarely did anything to prepare him.

Unfortunately, the pain wasn't great enough to knock Ward out. He hadn't adjusted to the offending dick inside him, before Harold started moving. There was harsh grunting, coming from the older man, while Ward shook his head trying every tactic he knew to block it out. But he'd heard his father so often now, there'd be no way he could ever forget it. He knew too many things that a son should never have to know about his own father. He bit down hard on his bottom lip to keep any more screams or noises of distress silent. He involuntarily gave Harold one scream; he couldn't afford to satisfy him again. If he could last, than that'd be at least one act of rebellion. Blood was dripping down the inside of his legs and down his chin from his split lip. His teeth chomped down harder on his lip when his head was yanked back.

"I want to hear you Ward." He was a bit breathless, but he didn't lose his hard or creepy edge. Ward clenched his hands into fists to give himself the strength to stick with his defiance. When he didn't give Harold anything he expected and braced for a hit of some kind, but Ward was surprised when no attack was forthcoming. He choked back a groan when Harold shifted positions. A shudder racked through him when he felt Harold's lips against the shell of his ear. He moaned purposely and obscenely against Ward's neck. Ward gagged on bile, but in the end swallowed it back down. "Unngh. I bet Joy would be begging so beautifully for me. Or maybe she'd be crying and screaming."

Tears pricked his eyes, but he let go of the death bite he had. "Fuck you!"

He heard, rather then saw, the smile on Harold's face. "I don't bottom, Ward. That's for sluts like you."

Anguish and shame tore at his heart, there had to be truth to that, since he kept showing up whenever Harold called him. He no longer held back his pain, or his gasps, just like his father wanted. "Please, dad. Stop!" He fought a wave of nausea when his begging only spurred him on. Harold's thrusts grew more erratic, and Ward hoped he was close; he needed this to be over.

"Scream out my name."

Ward choked on another sob and couldn't stop his shaking.

"Joy wouldn't fail me. She loves her father."

The view from the penthouse floor became distorted from all the tears clouding his eyes. Ward had to protect Joy at all costs, it was all he had left. But even with that in mind his throat constricted when he went to give Harold what he wanted. He had to, but he couldn't seem to make it come out. He barely batted an eye whenever Harold beat him now, but this?...he still couldn't cope with it. Even a disturbing image of a bloodied Joy laying on the floor, with a twisted Harold grinning down at her couldn't force that one word out of his throat. There was another sound, that he knew was coming from him, but would deny it later. Sobbing. A whole lot of sobbing and a painful keening was growing in volume as Harold's thrusts got rougher and faster. Harold would throw the way he was acting in his face later, Ward knew it.

**_Do it....Do it!_** Ward tried to push himself. He had a bad feeling that Harold would make this last, force him to endure it, until he gave him what he wanted. Harold always got what he wanted. And the longer he waited the worse his punishment would be later in the day, or tomorrow. He didn't want anything to happen to Joy, and he certainly didn't want to get hurt worse later, but the thought of degrading himself even more was something Ward couldn't wrap his head around. He was so busy arguing with himself, that he scarcely noticed when he screamed out. Harold yelled out his completion and Ward felt another little piece of him die. If there was a next time, Ward hung his head, who was he kidding, there was always going to be a next time. He'd wall himself up, just accept what was going on, it'd be over that much quicker.

"Clean yourself up, and get out."

As soon as Harold pulled out, Ward hissed in pain. He was too badly shaken to run out of there. But luckily, Harold left him where he lay and went to the bathroom. Or went about his daily business, like Ward didn't matter. Of course he knew he didn't matter, Harold made it a point to prove that to him since he was little. He came whenever Harold called, and continued to put up with his abuses. He never did a thing to stop it, or to fight back. He allowed Harold to abuse him. It shouldn't have been a surprise that his own father didn't care about him one way or another; but damn did it still hurt. Maybe Harold was right and there was something wrong with him. He didn't think he was a masochist, but it didn't explain why he constantly returned. With awkward movements, he was able to roll onto his knees. He struggled to get his shirt off his arms, but had to tear it anyway in order to get his arms free. Once they were he pulled up his pants, not caring how soiled they might have been. He just needed to get out. He put on his torn shirt next, as best as he could, then looked around for his blazer to put over it. It wouldn't hide all the rips, so he'd have to go home and get a new shirt, but it'd suffice until he got back to his apartment. And once he was in his apartment, he knew he'd need to freshen up a bit before going into work, as well as take some much needed pills.

Before he had a chance to bolt for the door, Harold came back out of the bathroom and spotted him heading for the exit. "You're still here?" Harold asked in an apathetic voice. "Does this mean you want a second round?"

Ward paled at that thought and reached the exit in a few long strides. "Don't come near me, or touch me."

* * *

 

He had called and let Joy know he was going to be late, and she seemed understanding on the phone, but he still heard what she suppressed. He heard the irritation in her voice, knowing there was a wall between them or an ocean that Ward wouldn't let her cross. In all truth, Ward should have just told Joy he wouldn't be in the office at all, and taken the time to recuperate. But he needed to look into that stupid Pond Enterprises for Harold, and there were a couple board meetings that he couldn't miss. It wasn't long after he popped some pills and took another shower, that he walked into the Rand building. He smoothed out his new suit and adjusted his tie while he crossed the lobby to reach the elevator. While he headed up, he gave himself another look in the reflective surface and aside from a few strands of hair falling into his face, nothing else seemed out of place. Ward had used some foundation to cover up the bruise that had started to appear on his face, from being slammed into the wall. But unless someone was invading his personal space, it would remain hidden. As soon as he was out of the elevator doors, he heard his secretary's surprised voice, but other then a quiet acknowledgment, he continued on his way. He expected Joy to be in his office. So when she got up as soon as he arrived, he walked around her and avoided eye contact.

"What have I missed?"

"Oh just the morning board meeting. It was boring." She chuckled a little bit. "Everything was just a formality. They will be expecting a more detailed version of your proposal for that Pier later today. However, if you really do want the cliff notes of what you missed, I can provide-"

Ward flicked his eyes towards Joy when she broke off so suddenly. He inwardly groaned when he noticed how close she was and what she was staring at. "Ward..." Joy spoke softly, her hand reaching towards his face.

Reeling quickly away from her questing hand, he turned to face her and she got the picture. She kept her distance but her scrutiny didn't let up. "I'm fine." That was his knee-jerk response every time, and he knew Joy wouldn't buy it and was getting sick of hearing it.

"Really? Because..." She hesitated, to make sure they were alone. She even turned and locked his office before she felt safe enough to continue. Only Ward knew it wasn't safe. Harold had eyes everywhere, there was no where that was safe from that evil man. "Because it looks like you're hurting yourself on purpose to get more pills."

"No offense Joy, but you don't know what your talking about."

"Then what happened?" After the silence grew more tense between the siblings, Joy spoke once more. "Ward. I'm starting to worry about you."

"Don't. I'm okay. I slipped and fell in the shower."

He didn't need to look at her, to know she was still concerned. Still, he gazed at her momentarily to confirm his suspicions, and involuntarily took a step backwards. Her eyes were wide, and while she didn't believe his lie, he saw an underlying state of disappointment in her eyes. He saw so much of Harold in that one look, that he had to tell himself that it was Joy. That Joy wouldn't hurt him! He forced himself to crack a grin, which did appease Joy's initial worries. "Honest. Why do you think I called to let you know I'd be late?"

She shook her head, letting herself relax. "Geez Ward. You get clumsier each year."

His smirk didn't let up, but he looked away from her. He loved Joy and did everything he could to keep her protected, but there was this divide between them. He knew it was his own fault, but knowing that Joy could so easily believe his lies...or preferred to believe his lies still ate away at him. He could not and would never tell her the truth; but he feared even if he did, she'd never believe him anyway. At best, she'd humor him, at worst she'd throw him in the hospital for being crazy and then never talk to him again. If she ever walked out of his life, he was sure whatever was left of his being, his soul, would end. He'd endure the slow death, the one that chipped away at his soul, bit by bit, if it meant having her in his life just a little bit longer. "I know it. There's no hope for me."

Her smile widened and she crowded into his personal space and gave him a hug. Thankfully, he was able to tolerate the spike in pain emanating from his chest. He hugged her back tightly, and if she was curious as to why he held on longer then usual, she never said. It wasn't nearly what he needed, for he still felt that emotional chasm between them, it would be enough. Until his next visit to Harold. "I'll need a few hours to gather up all the paperwork and my strategy for Red Hook Pier." He spoke as soon as they parted.

"Not a problem. Just let me know when you'll be ready, and I'll make sure the rest of the board will be attending."

Before she left his office, Ward called to her. "Do you know anything about Pond Incorporated?"

There was a shake of her head, before Joy really gave his question more thought. "Actually, I believe they're a small Pharmaceutical Company."

Ward sat down and booted up his computer. "Thank you Joy." While she left him alone to finish his work, Ward planned to do some more research on the new company Harold was now interested in. First a Pier and now Pharmaceuticals.

**_What are you up to Harold?_ **

* * *

 

It had been a long day, and Ward still had no answers, and no clues as to what his psychotic father was up to. They were exactly what Joy said they were, but they went by largely unnoticed. Hours of looking into the company and he couldn't find a significant thing wrong or right with them. Like the Pier, it seemed pointless. His younger self may have been naive to think these were just two separate business deals, he knew more about how his fathers mind worked. On paper, neither were strategically sound and were inconsequential. He could even hear the future arguments over any profit they wielded would not compare to what they pooled into them in the first place. He needed to build a good strategy to convince the board the money they pooled into those resources would eventually benefit Rand.

He held no illusions that Harold would tell him what he wanted him to do. Still, Ward suspected the two companies were connected somehow, and he suspected but couldn't prove that Harold was getting him and the company entrapped into something illegal. He had gotten a hold of one of Pond's representatives, and he had a meeting with them in two days time. Not enough time to learn what Harold was up to. He sighed as he sank onto his bed, almost relaxing until he remembered he was being watched. He tensed up once more and paranoia caused him to glance around for any glint of a camera lens. There was nothing, wherever Harold had his surveillance equipment, it was hidden well. Ward crawled into bed, reluctantly, and fought with his subconscious the moment he closed his eyes.

He wanted one night of peaceful rest, but the nightmares were **_waiting_** , and he was fighting a losing battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am new to this fandom, and I admit, I don't know the marvel characters of Iron Fist too well, so I only have the show to go from/reference, so if they're out of character, I do apologize. Also, I am new to writing anything sexual, so it may take a little while, but I'm hopeful I'll get better at it.
> 
> And while I do believe Harold love's Ward in his own twisted way (in the show), for this story he's set up as a terrible monster, with a sweet spot for Joy. But I doubt that will make him a redeemable character. I do love Harold, but he may end up being totally out of character for this story. Still hope you stick with it.


	2. Superbia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same things to be on the look out for. Major angst, rape/non con, and abuse. Also drug use. So just be forewarned if any of this stuff makes you uneasy.

Waking up in a cold sweat, Ward jerked up and out of his bed, fighting an invisible attacker. He was still drowsy and feeling the lasting effects from his recent nightmare. His sheets had gotten twisted around his legs and he knocked his alarm clock of the stand beside his bed before he fell out as well. He landed hard on the floor, with his legs still locked in place within the confines of his blankets. Being held down had only caused Ward more distress, before he really came out of his nightmare. The view of his bedroom came as little comfort, but he took solace in the fact that he was alone. He kicked until he got free of the sheets and let himself sit on the floor of his apartment. His head leaned back against the wall and he waited until his breathing got under control. Deep down he knew he wasn't completely alone, as his eyes looked upwards, still searching for that illusive video camera, with no luck. _**What had his nightmare been about this time?**_

Ward knew he had fought pretty hard, at nothing, and gave his father a good laugh. Or he'd get a good laugh if he watched his video's later. However, he was certain he hadn't been fighting Harold. He laughed, a hysterical tone accompanied his laughter, as he really thought about why. Even in his dreams, he still didn't have the balls to fight back. He just accepted whatever Harold dished out, even in his subconscious mind. He had to be a pathetic and weak man, and Ward feared that his father was right. Every hurtful thing, what if it was all true? Ward thought, not for the first time, to just leave. Walk away from everything. He wish he had the strength to do it, and he often used Joy as his excuse not to. If he left, Harold would find some way to get at Joy, he was sure of it, and he didn't think she'd be safe from Harold's manipulation or wrath for long. So he stayed, for her.

 ** _It's your own cowardice that keeps you here. Keeps you on Daddy's leash._** It was his doubts lashing out at him, but it surprisingly sounded like Harold's voice. He really was going crazy.

A logical part of his mind told him, he wasn't crazy, just damaged and traumatized. But he couldn't afford to listen to that part. He didn't want to be or play the victim. Besides, with his reputation for being a psychotic, stone-cold, and shrewd businessman; he heard what people said about him when his back was turned. _Who would really care or believe him anyway?_ He was **trapped**. He knew it, and Harold knew it. Suddenly, the radio turned on, and music began to blare, startling Ward. He shakily turned his alarm off, but didn't move from his spot on the floor. It was only the memory of what Harold did to him on a different floor that finally forced Ward to get up and start his morning routine.  
An hour later, he was reaching for his phone after hearing he had received a text message. Harold did text him from time to time, but he seemed to enjoy taunting him with his voice. To him a text wasn't nearly as intimidating as a threat over the phone, or maybe that was just Ward's biased view on the matter. His face relaxed and lit up slightly when he saw it was from Joy.

_*Breakfast?*_

_*Sure. We can meet in half an hour. Our normal place?*_

_*Where else would we go?*_

Ward caught himself smiling, just hearing Joy's voice behind the text. If he was going to be thrown under the bus later, either by being blindsided by the board, again, or from Harold, then at least he'd have this morning with Joy. It was shaping out to be a better morning then yesterday, and he was going to take advantage of it.

* * *

 

That half hour had gone by more quickly then Ward thought it would have, and he was grateful for it. While he couldn't rely on her emotionally for what he had been going through recently, and not so recently. Ward felt like he shouldn't be alone. He entered their favorite cafe, and found a table outside on a small balcony. It really didn't overlook anything special, though one could see the Hudson river. It was a peaceful view and, while it was fancier, it was still a bit droll for billionaire's like him and his sister. They often attended the flashier restaurants, but he and Joy still enjoyed this small cafe. Whenever they had the time, they would eat breakfast there together. No sooner did Ward sit down, Joy had come out onto the balcony. Quickly, he stood back up and embraced her as soon as she approached their table. She gave him a curious glance once they were sitting down.

"You're awfully affectionate this morning." Joy shrugged her shoulders, just grateful that Ward was trying to reconnect with her. "You're looking better than yesterday."

"Sorry about that Joy." He frowned, wondering to himself just when 'I'm fine' and 'I'm sorry', became his main vocabulary.

"I'm sorry too Ward. I admit, I may have overreacted. You had me worried." She chuckled at little bit at her next thought. "Maybe we need to install guard rails in your shower."

Ward balked at that. "I'm not that old or infirm yet, right?" Joy simply smiled at him. "Joy. Please tell me this isn't what you wanted to talk to me about over breakfast."

Joy shook her head,"Of course not." She had gestured to the nearest waitress. "Let's order first, then we can discuss our battle plan."

Ward nearly rolled his eyes at that, he should have known it would have been about work. He also suspected it was due to his sketchy decisions of late. But Ward did agree with Joy, just as his phone went off. He automatically checked it and his good mood vanished in an instant. **Frank Stein.**

"Hey Ward. Who is it?"

Ward shook his head, declined, and pocketed his phone. "Hmm? Oh it's nothing. This is more important."

Joy hadn't said anything, but Ward had seen a glimmer of elation in her eyes. When his phone went off again, it had captured Joy's curiosity. Ward knew he was going to suffer later for ignoring **_him_** , but he hit the decline button again then put it on mute.

"Hi, Are you two ready to order?"

Joy gave Ward a hard stare, and didn't let up as she ordered eggs with a small fruit bowl. Ward found himself nervous under her scrutiny, but kept his composure. He gave the waitress a friendly greeting.

"I think I'll just take some blueberry pancakes and sausage links."

Immediately upon the waitress departure, they resumed their conversation. "Blueberry Pancakes? Sausage links? How perfectly normal."

"Fruit bowl...how cliche."

"We could continue to trade barbs, or you could tell me who was on the phone. Obviously it's not nothing."

Ward clasped his hands together on top of the table, in a mimicry of Joy's pose. Not that he would tell her, but her demanding him to tell her had really hit a chord. So reminiscent of Harold, that for a moment he questioned why he was trying to protect her. "Lawrence." It was the first name that popped into his head, and with Joy wanting to get down to business pretty early, it was a lie that she'd easily swallow.

"I was worried about that. Ward, we do need a game plan. Tell me why you're interested in this Pier and Pond Incorporated."

"I've never given reason for doubt in the past. Now you're even questioning my business deals?"

Joy pouted. "We're partners Ward. Can't you tell me why you're interested in these two businesses? Give me something. I'm just trying to help you turn the board on to your side."

"Our side?" Ward asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"You know I'll back you, but I-" Joy cut herself off, and Ward knew she was looking for the right words to say.

Sick of the way Harold always chose his words carefully, Ward supplied words for her. "You need a reason to."

She took in a deep breath and finally relaxed her posture. "That's not exactly the way I would have worded it, but...yes."

He figured that was fair, but Harold didn't keep him in the loop, so he wasn't sure how he could properly inform Joy either. With perfect timing, the waitress arrived with their food, and it gave Ward some extra time to figure out how to respond to Joy and her concerns. "Thank you." He replied politely.

Joy watched the exchange with amused interest and grabbed a fork before taking her first bite. Ward got busy eating his own food when he finally raised his eyebrow up at his sister. "What?"

"She's cute. I don't think you'd make a good match, but she's definitely your type."

Ward stopped chewing in his shock, before he finished his bite, and swallowed. "Excuse me?" Ward hadn't been anything other then polite, and he hoped the waitress hadn't thought he was hitting on her. Sex. Relationships. One Night Stands. All of that stuff was not even on his mind.

Joy shrugged, unphased by how uncomfortable the subject change was for Ward. "Dating, Ward. You're older then me, do I have to spell it out for you? Who are you seeing?" At his silence, she pressed on. "I haven't seen or heard about anyone new since Tammy."

Ward had suddenly lost his appetite. **Tammy**. He hadn't thought of her in quite a while. "She broke up with me over a year ago, Joy. Why bring her up now?" Tammy had been a bright spot in his miserable life, for a short time. She didn't even get mad at him or demand answers when he got squeamish about sex or flat out refused to have sex with her. They never talked about why he was damaged, but Tammy was understanding all the same. Then suddenly, without warning, she broke up with him.

"I didn't want to bring it up afterwards; I thought you'd be upset over it. And then you stopped talking about her, and I completely forgot to even ask you what happened, or if you were okay."

Relieving guilt. How he wished he could do the same. "Bit late for that. And I don't mean that as a jab against you. Just it happened so long ago."

"So...what happened? Why did it end?"

Ward swirled his sausage through the ketchup on his plate. Why had it ended? The day before the breakup, he had broken down, things had been thrown, he had asked her why she put up with him. Hell, he practically told her to break up with him. But she had told him that she loved him. She spoke those three words, three words that they had not spoken to each other before that moment. Thinking back on it now, it seemed odd that she would have told him that, if she was planning on breaking up with him. He had been convinced that Tammy only said what she said out of pity. Harold had convinced him of that. "We wanted different things." He finally came up with a lame reply, and didn't bother to check if Joy believed him or not. Ward changed the subject abruptly. "Now about the Pier and Pond Incorporated."

Joy wasn't oblivious to the subject change, but loved her brother enough to allow it. "Back to business. Alright, let me know what angle we're going to go at the board with, and I'll back you. You haven't let the company down so far, and I'm sure you won't let it down now."

"I think we should talk about their untapped potential. They may be small and relatively unknown companies, but what we lose in profits this year by negotiating with them, our profits next year should more then make up for whatever loss. And with an Enterprise as big as Rand, just think what could be accomplished with us backing them."

Joy nodded her head,"Yes! That's a good strategy, it'll definitely soften the blow of the loss in profits."

"Those idiots never look at the big picture. If we're not making money right this second, their whole world comes crashing down."

Joy laughed at that. "We should probably keep that out of the by-line. And we'll need to focus away from the loss in profits."

"Agreed. Do you want to help me finalize everything when we get back to the office? We'll have a few hours before we need to face the gauntlet."

"That sounds better then making my own final adjustments alone in my office." She pushed her empty plate aside, ignoring the fact that Ward had stopped eating around the time she mentioned Tammy and had continued to play with his food. "About what we were talking about earlier..."

Ward pushed his plate aside as well, with a sigh on his lips. "I thought I made myself clear on the subject."

"Oh...no you did. I just...it's been over a year Ward. Don't you think its time you started dating again?"

As messed up as he was when he and Tammy had started dating and everything she went through with him, that was a probably not. A year later, had undone whatever damage Tammy had fixed and now he was ten times worse. A hell no would suffice, but that'd lead to too many questions. "I...don't think-"

"Oh come on Ward. I can set you up on a date."

He groaned. "You already have someone in mind, don't you?" There was a short nod, and he glanced away. "If I say yes, and go on one date, will you stop pestering me about Tammy and never set me up on a date again?"

"Only if you agree to let me set you up again, if you actually have a good time on the date."

There was no chance of that happening, but Ward would indulge his sister. "You drive a hard bargain, but it's a deal."

"Good. I think I'll set it up in the next couple days. Let me know what you're schedule is like. And don't stall on me Ward. I know you, you'll tell me your booked up for the next two months and then we'll get overwhelmed with work that we'll both forget."

He gave her a shy smile, placed some money down for their waitress and then stood up to leave. Joy walked alongside him, back into the cafe. "Alright Joy. This is obviously important to you. So I promise, I'll let you know what day I'm free this week. Although, you could just cheat and look it up yourself."

"I could." She concurred. "But that'd be too much like forcing this date on you."

"Because twisting my arm and blackmailing-"

"Negotiating." Joy corrected.

"Isn't forcing me." Ward finished.

She grinned and paid for their breakfast. "It's what I do."

* * *

 

_His hands wound through her black curls, as she leaned further into his touch. Their lips had touched gently and he knew she was going slow for his benefit. After his second freak out, she had gotten the hint and stepped with caution when things started to get intimate. Tammy was letting him take the lead and had hesitated to touch him, unsure what would set him off. He was grateful, and annoyed at the same time. He knew he needed to be treated cautiously, but he was irritated with himself that he even had this issue. He had brought her closer to his body and he let himself enjoy the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest. She even slowly put one hand on his waist and the other went slowly up his back. He shuddered in pleasure, feeling his body tingling with want._

_It was a far cry from any other experience he had had and it hit him. He had never enjoyed sex. He had never had an enjoyable encounter, before Tammy. His first time with a girl in high school had been awkward, clunky and weird. Even more so when he kept picturing Harold's face and eyes on him, everywhere. Then there had been that one time when he was twenty. He had run into some good looking guy that had hit on him. He had thought it was a bad idea at the time, but the man had seemed the complete opposite of Harold and had gone for it. It had been a bad idea, though thankfully the man had stopped when he asked him to; though wasn't happy that he couldn't finish and left Ward curled up in bed alone. He'd never been called a damn cock tease before, and hadn't since._

_When Tammy had sensed his change in mood, she backed off. "I apologize. We don't have to do this Ward. You don't have to prove anything to me."_

_"No." Ward rubbed his thumb along her cheek. "It felt good."_

_"Yeah?" Her face had lit up._

_He knew she was patient with him, but Ward knew how badly she probably needed him. They couldn't bond the way normal couple's did, and everyone had physical needs. So often they focused on his needs, and for once he wanted to give her what she needed. He resumed kissing her and groaned in response to her hands back on his body, exploring. He was reassuring her every bit as much as she was bolstering him. He let himself enjoy the sensations and his hold tightened when she slipped her tongue inside his mouth. Kissing was okay, it wasn't enough to trigger him, but they were careful when they did kiss. It would always escalate into more if they weren't paying attention. He moaned into her mouth when she ground her body against his. He was shocked to learn he was hard as they continued their progression naturally._

_An image of his father's hard cock pressing against his back entered his mind and he broke off the kiss. Tammy hadn't sensed anything wrong yet, and let herself kiss along his jaw and down to his neck. Ward scarcely felt what she was doing, getting too lost in his past with Harold. Taking in deep breaths, he blocked the memories of Harold. Expelling them from his head. In a bid to force himself to be okay with the intimacy and to give Tammy what she clearly needed he brought one of his hands off the back of her neck. There was reluctance, but he finally placed his hand on her breast, massaging her through her shirt. She gasped, her head falling backwards to just feel it. Ward debated taking off her clothing. Taking his exploration as a good sign, Tammy brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it. She took the initiative for him and removed her own shirt. Skillfully, her hands moved to start talking off his clothing as well. However, there were a couple bruises on his hips, from being held in place, that Ward didn't want Tammy to see. His entire body had gone rigid and **that** Tammy had definitely noticed. She halted her advance momentarily to stare up at his guarded face._

_"Shhh. It's okay Ward."_

_This only served to stress him out even more. Harold had said the same thing to him the last time his father took his clothes off. Ward began to shake his head and moved away from Tammy's questing hands. "I can't...I..."_

_"Shh..." Tammy's voice was soft and soothing. "You can leave your shirt on. Your pants too if it makes you more comfortable."_

_He gapped at her, and seeing that she was serious, he sank to the floor, chuckling darkly at himself. "I'm such a mess. Why do you put up with it?"_

_Tammy knelt down in front of him. "For that sexy body and all that cash."_

_A genuine snort emanated from Ward's mouth and he laughed at her joke. She had joined in, but when things settled down, she grew serious. "I really like you Ward, and you're not the only one with baggage. I believe there's this spark between us and I want to see where it can go. I want to be with you Ward and nothing has to happen right away. I'm not expecting you to do something you don't want to do, or that you're not ready for."_

_"I know." Ward had wanted to tell her he was ready, but just the thought of being intimate brought on unpleasant memories of his father. His erection had long since flagged and he couldn't force himself to go through with it. Not while Harold hung in the air between them._

_"Did you want to talk-"_

_"No!" Ward shivered before he replied more calmly. "There's nothing to talk about." **Just drop it!**_

_She thankfully did, as she sat down beside him, leaning her head against his shoulder. No words were necessary after all that, but Ward wanted to reaffirm to them both that their relationship was unchanged. "I...do like you too Tammy. Are...we're alright?"_

_"Yes."_

_He met her halfway and they kissed languidly. As usual, it didn't stop there. Months of sexual tension had taken their toll and Tammy pressed Ward once more. The kiss deepened, their hands were all over each other again and Tammy rolled over to straddle Ward's lap. He tried to keep up with her, to satisfy her at least. She wanted sex from him, if her constant grinding were any indication. But Harold was everywhere and in everything he did. Whatever moment that was between them was gone now; nothing left but Harold's taint._

_"Stop." Ward finally, breathlessly asked between each kiss. Either she hadn't heard him, or she had been so turned on and in the moment that she found it too difficult to stop. Tammy wouldn't take advantage of him. He hoped. Then again, he had once thought the same of his father. Even after everything, he thought his father couldn't get any worse, but time and time again Harold would surprise him. His panic spiked then and he began struggling with Tammy. "I said stop."_

_At Ward's shout, Tammy got off him so fast and put distance between them. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I think it's best if I go home now. I'll give you a call later."_

_Without another word, Tammy left his apartment. She had left him behind to sort out his own chaotic emotions and the aftermath by himself. He brought his knees up to his chest and stared at the wall. He felt so empty, and he ended up losing time after that. A text message from his phone was the only thing that snapped him back to reality. The ID read Frank Stein and he opened the message._

_*Meet me at the penthouse in twenty minutes.*_

_And like the drone he was beginning to feel that he was, Ward got up, cleaned himself up a bit, and then left to meet up with Harold._

* * *

 

The meeting had finished and while it hadn't been spectacular, he left feeling hopeful. The board members weren't impressed, Lawrence had been the most outspoken one. That was to be expected; ever since Harold's public death-Lawrence had played devil's advocate. He often disagreed with Joy and Ward, and Ward was starting to assume he disagreed with them just to be at odds with them. He didn't have proof, but Lawrence Wilkins came across as a jealous man. Ward always assumed Lawrence was bitter over the company falling to Ward and Joy at such a young age. His constant outspoken arguments and discussions he often had, lent itself to supporting Ward's theory. Needless to say, the plans for the Pier and small pharmacy weren't popular decisions. However, the Meachums went in strong on a unified front. Joy and Ward got to say their peace and they followed the strategy they had created together earlier that morning. It had been a good plan, but it was clear they hadn't made up their minds yet about the Pier.

As for the Pharmacuetical company, some were intrigued, but they couldn't do anything leagally until Ward had a chance to meet with their representative. Unsurprisingly, the had an opening and Ward was going to be in a meeting with one of their Executives tomorrow. With any luck they could come to a beneficial alliance and negotiations would go easier then they were with that damn Pier. He and Joy needed to schedule another meeting with Patel over the Pier. He sat down in his chair, taking the time to breathe. Since breakfast he had felt like a knot getting tied tighter and tighter. All Ward needed to worry about was making sure his meeting with Pond Inc went well. There was several other things that needed to be addressed, but the two Harold was most insistent on, were his priority. It was wishful thinking, but if he got what he wanted, then the hitting would stop. Or...at least the assaults. Before he knew it, Ward was already reaching into his second drawer.

He did a quick scan and took two pills when he was sure the coast was clear. Until the pills took effect, Ward felt the jittery panic set in. It was this overwhelming sense of dread that threatened to consume him. Closing his drawer, and leaning back in his seat, he shut his eyes. It did alarm him that he had taken the last two pills, but he felt his body begin to relax and his head buzzed with a familiar tingle. His head was slightly cloudy, but he was no longer anxious about Harold, the company, Joy, or about his pill problem. He had all his emotions back under control, but there was still one thing that kept popping up in his mind. It was this relentless, nagging idea. He partially blamed Joy. She had brought her up and a year ago he had just wanted to forget she existed. But now, he was interested. He wanted to know where Tammy ended up, what she was doing, and if she was seeing anyone.

Curiosity won out and he leaned forward, turned his computer on and entered his username and password. Pulling up the internet, Ward did a basic search of her name. It wasn't a unique name, nor was it common. So Ward assumed incorrectly that the search would have been effortless. He scrolled through the first couple of pages, but without any luck. Another search of himself and Tammy only produced limited information. There were a few vague references of him dating a girl named Tammy. And a few of their breakup. He was surprised it hadn't been bigger news, but he wasn't one of New York's "handsome" bachelor's. Most of the media attention he got, that wasn't negative, was when he made controversial decisions for Rand Enterprises.

He supposed he was lucky that the media didn't care enough about his personal life or it wasn't juicy enough to be reported on. Then again, Harold or the people he worked with could have had a hand in keeping his private life private. And considering he used pills, was constantly abused, and visited his dead father often; the media would have been an inconvience. Ward found no further mentions of Tammy, so he turned to a few different social media sites and searched through them. There were plenty of Tammy's but none of them were of his Ex. People could live off the grid with enough money and they could even keep a low profile or leave the internet, but Ward found it hard to accept that Tammy had to that degree. People always left traces, only it seemed like he had gotten his juvenile wish. It seemed like she never even existed. His heart began to hammer on his chest, suddenly regretting where his thoughts were leading him.

 _ **What the implications were**_...his office door opened and Ward jumped at the sudden noise.

"Sorry Mr. Meachum." It was only Megan, his assistant. "I did knock first."

He closed out of the pages he had been reading, and then turned off his monitor. "What is it?"

"Your 2:30 Conference. You asked me to remind you."

"Thank you. That'll be all."

She nodded her head before turning to leave him alone. Ward gave one look to the calls and messages he had missed from Harold, before he got his paperwork together for his afternoon conference. Harold would have to wait, and for once he had some questions of his own.

* * *

 

The building had always looked more daunting at night, but Ward admitted to himself that it was menacing even in the light of day. Pushing aside his emotions, he entered the building and made his trek to the elevator. He had made the same journey so many times that he was standing outside the second door that led to Harold's doorway. Activating the scanner, Ward sauntered into the Penthouse, crossing the lobby. Movement caught his eye and he realized Kyle was still sitting at his desk. He appeared strung out, exhausted and scared.

"Kyle." His tone sounded almost desperate to his own ears. It had caught Kyle's attention and unfortunately Harold's as well. His father did not look pleased, but Ward spoke before either one had another chance to. "Leave us. Now Kyle." He had sounded a lot more confident that time, more so than he felt.

Although Kyle only listened to his father, he didn't hesitate to get up and scamper away from the Meachum men. Either Harold had already told him to leave once he arrived or Kyle didn't want to get caught between them when they were both angry. Harold gave him a cross between pure rage and that never ending gaze of disappointment. _**Would it ever end?**_

"To think, I was going to celebrate with you."

This threw him off, and confusion took over for his earlier anger. "Celebrate with me?" He was completely dumbfounded. The only times Harold ever wanted to do something positive with him....was never. He knew Harold probably thought what he did constantly to him was his twisted brand of positive reinforcement.

"Sure Ward." When he lurched forward, Ward used a lot of his inner strength not to recoil or stumble backwards. "Getting Pond Inc. to agree to a meeting. They're already interested and would be fools to decline any offer you make them."

"You." Ward said off-hand, knowing all too well that the offer he made would come from Harold's lips. He wasn't allowed to make any of his own decisions when it came to the company, and was told too often that his thoughts and actions were always wrong. For once, Harold didn't hit him for interrupting, just smirked.

"You're right Ward. It's all me. I'm getting closer to securing a deal with Red Hook Pier. You've done what I asked and I had wanted to do something fun, but you went and ignored all my calls and messages."

His hands raised up defensively and awkwardly, a stab of fear breaking through the confusion. But years of conditioning had trained him not to fight back or to defend himself. It was always so much worse when he would fight with his father; Harold made sure of that. Harold was suddenly in his personal space and he grabbed Ward by the chin. His thumb stroking his jaw in a mocking, possessive way. Ward swallowed uneasily, his brown eyes glued to Harold's face. He was doing a good impression of a deer caught in someone's headlights. The contorted smirk on his father's face only got more cruel.

"Now why'd you have to go and do a thing like that? After all I've done for you Ward-"

Ward laughed bitterly, unable to help himself. It was an automatic outburst that Ward regretted as soon as he saw his father's face. The ire in his blue eyes, the stilled thumb on his jaw, the nails starting to press into his chin, and his father's clenched teeth. Ward felt a shiver run down his body, but couldn't move. Time seemed to come to a screeching halt and long after the laughing faded Harold still held Ward in his powerful and impending gaze.

Ward teetered backwards, his hand flying to the side of his fae. It had stung and he watched Harold's hand vigilantly. He had been backhanded by his father before. He'd even been hit worse, but there was something about the gesture that brought him back to the eight year old he use to be. The first time his father had laid a hand on him, back where it had all started. The sting slowly gave way to a dull ache, but Ward kept that side of his face protected.

"You're such an ungrateful brat. I do all of this for you. Give you everything and you repay me with laughter. Is it not enough for you, you greedy little shit."

Ward was pained by the words and how easily they came to Harold. He briefly closed his eyes, telling himself that he wasn't that kid anymore. When he opened them again, Harold was standing close to his face, reminding Ward that he felt like that kid still. Shrinking back, Ward felt just as scared as he had when he was eight years old. "Please, dad." He saw Harold crowding his space and reaching out for him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He wasn't even sure why he was sorry. He sustained his apologies as a chant, like he use to do as a kid.

Harold sucked in a breath and held Ward's good cheek. He began to pet his son's hair and Ward felt his legs weakening. He was falling back into the trap, being sucked in by Harold's false remorse. If it was real, then Harold didn't feel it long enough to do any real good. But he lost his mother so long ago and his father so rarely showed him affection. He was already leaning into Harold's touch before he could stop.

"There, there. I'm sorry. Daddy's sorry. I didn't mean to Ward. I love you."

Disbelief was etched all over Ward's face. Deep in his heart, he didn't believe anything Harold had to say anymore. Certainly not when Harold was acting like a father and telling him he loved him. But his body seemed to have a mind of its own. He was leaning into Harold and surrendering to his hug and the rest of the lies attached.

"I love you." Was spoken lowly. "What can I do to show you, Ward?"

Ward remained still and reticent in his arms, attempting to quell the storm between his heart and his mind. When there was no prompt response, Harold grew impatient. "Don't make me do something I'll regret."

Stricken out of his near paralysis state, Ward pulled away, but met with resistance. Not wanting to reignite the fire in Harold, he stayed in the hug. "I don't know."

"Well what about the Arcade? I remember you use to love it there."

"I'm not a child anymore."

His father held him close. "You're a grown man, of course. Then maybe you need a different form of entertainment. How about a stripper?" Realizing that his father was serious, Ward immediately rejected it. Harold grinned as he led them to sit together on the couch.

"You've been alone too long son." Harold's voice was casual, but anything could set him off. "Everyone has physical needs and you ignore yours."

Ward felt the beginning spin of an upset stomach. It shouldn't have surprised him that Harold was spying on that part of his private life as well, but it had. "What happened with Tammy?" Ward blurted out.

He expected the sudden change to veer away from the subject of sex.

"Who?"

"Tammy, dad. She broke up with me over a year ago."

"Oh. Her. I don't know what happened to her. But if that's your type.-"

"Jesus." Ward exclaimed. "Dad."

Harold began massaging Ward's thigh and he jumped up to put some distance between them. "With as much shit as you know about my life, and the reach your new friends have. You must know something."

"She broke your heart Ward. Why would I give a damn what happened to her?"

Dawning comprehension passed over Ward and he took a step back. "No." It was a whine in the back of his throat. Harold found it puzzling, and he too stood up, allowing his height to intimidate Ward. In truth, they weren't all that different in height, but he would always cast a bigger shadow then his son.

"Did..." Ward's mouth had gone dry. He didn't think he could ask him. _**How could he?**_ Harold wasn't that far gone yet. **_Was he that evil?_** His eyes got misty, but he refused to cry. "Did you kill her dad? Or have her killed?" His voice had cracked and he knew how low of an opinion Harold had of him.

"She was turning into a distraction for you Ward."

"Oh...god." Ward clutched at his churning stomach. The world was beginning to spin and suddenly his vision blurred and started fading in and out. The Penthouse tipped sideways and he fell. Two strong arms enveloped him and kept him from hitting the ground. His backside was pressed against Harold's front but everything was still greying out.

"You weren't seeing me as often, you cared less about the company. She made you weak. It's been a year and I'm still working on fixing all the damage she caused."

Ward struggled to breath in Harold's arms. _Damage?_ It was **him** that had damaged him, and he was still trying to break him- ** _was he already broken? Or was Harold right?_** Tammy had helped him find the humanity he had buried, as well as emotions he had locked away. He had thought it was a good thing, but things had gotten so much worse since their breakup. He couldn't cope with Harold being right. With renewed focus and a burst of adrenaline, he flailed until he elbowed Harold in the face. "You killed her!"

Spinning around, he punched at Harold's side and got two good hits in before Harold socked him in the gut. Effectively knocking all the air and fight right out of him. Too easily he was pushed to the ground and he found himself on his knee's staring up into Harold's face. "Why?"

"Why not?" Harold peered down at Ward, seeing nothing worthy. Just a poor, broken man. "I can do whatever I want."

Ward was helpless. His father was beyond dangerous and Ward knew, not for the first time, that there was no way out for him. He had never felt so powerless as he watched Harold talk like he was surveying his own private kingdom. "Look at everything I've built and accomplished!"

"You can't go outside. You're stuck here. Just as trapped as me."

His dark eyes narrowed at Ward. "My one failed creation."

"Fuck off. I'm not your creation-Ahhgh!" Harold grabbed him painfully by the hair, forcing him to look wherever he pleased.

"You are and I'll do whatever I damn well please with you."

Ward spat in his face, too angry to worry about the consequences.

He had wiped away at the saliva on his face, regarding Ward with disgust. "You're nothing without me."

Crouching, to be face to face with Ward, he hissed in his son's face. "You belong to me."


	3. Gula

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm noticing my Harold getting more twisted as I go on (or I'm just a twisted and horrible individual). So beware of that. More Ward angst in this chapter. I don't think there's anymore warnings to watch out for. (Like with all my stuff, it's unbeta'ed. So there will be typo's.) Enjoy.

_Random things littered the floor, some objects were broken and the pieces were scattered all over the place. A whirlwind had whipped through the apartment, everything was in disarray. Ward stood in the middle of the chaos panting harshly. Amidst the mess, Tammy stood unharmed. Her lanky figure was still, while her long black curly hair draped over her shoulders and down her back. Her brown eyes were sparkling with an emotion Ward couldn't identify or maybe he just didn't want to believe it. As big of an asshole he was being, he didn't understand how she could stomach being in his presence. He had quite honestly thrown a tantrum and broke down in front of her. He had done the one thing he was always scared of. He had turned violent, just like Harold._

_"I'm no better than him. Tammy get out. Just leave."_

_The approach was slow, and Tammy knew better then to touch him, but she got close enough to be within touching distance. She had long since believed he was being abused or had come from an abusive background. But it was the elephant in the room that neither of them talked about. This was the closest confession that Tammy received and would likely ever get._

_"You're better Ward. You didn't hurt me, you purposely avoided hitting me." Tears streaked down her face. "You're not him and you never will be."_

_Ward trembled when she finally touched his arm. She was avoiding anything that could be misinterpreted. "You're only hurting yourself Ward. I can help you. I want to help you. We'll get through this together."_

_"Why?" His voice was scratchy from all his previous shouting._

_"I love you." Her voice was so genuine and warm. Ward hadn't felt safe or loved in so long; he almost didn't recognize that they were good emotions. He felt a swelling in his chest and a sob bubbled out of his mouth. He touched his forehead to hers and they tasted each others tears when they kissed._

**_"I love you." Resounded in his head._ **

****

"You're nothing without me." Stabbed him in ways that felt more damaging than any physical abuse he had suffered at his father's hands.

 

"You belong to me." It was like another punch to his gut and Ward gasped in an effort to get enough air into his lungs.

 

Like with Harold's earlier lies of love, Ward felt deep down that those two phrases were his father's true feelings for him. His heart knew he was nothing, that Harold used him as an extension of his own body and would discard him without a thought as soon as he was finished with him. But his mind swam in confusion. This was his father! He had issues, but he had to care about him, a little. He didn't know what to feel and it was tearing him up inside. "But...my whole life-"

A jerk on his hair cut off his words. "What life?" Harold hissed. Ward didn't know how much more he could take. "Everything you have is mine. I earned and worked for it. Whatever you think you have, I can take away from you in a heartbeat."

He didn't want to hear this, he couldn't face this. But Harold never pulled his punches and he didn't care if his son was already at his limit.

"You do what I say, when I say. You think I have any use for you other than that?"

Ward cringed, failing to block out the words he was hearing. His own inner conflict jumping between the man of his nightmares and his father. The fact that they were one and the same only made things more complicated. His emotions collided and the little boy he buried came peeking out pleading for the dad he had always wanted and needed. "Dad."

"Dad." Harold mocked his son, chuckling darkly at Ward's hurt expression. He saw the tears start to form in the corners of his eyes, and Harold started to mock him for that as well. "You have whatever life I want you to have, but make no mistake, it's all mine. Consider it a small gift that I let you have it at all."

He shook his head as much as Harold's hold allowed him to, as denial set in. "It's my life!"

"Oh really? And what do you have? Who do you have Ward?"

Ward took a breath and opened his mouth to say something when he realized he had nothing to say. Justin, Todd and Edward were his only friends, but actually thinking about them-Ward couldn't recall the last time he had seen or talked to them. "Justin."

Harold thought a moment before he shook his head, failing to imitate sympathy. "His mother passed away. He had to move back to the west coast to take care of his four little sisters."

"There was Todd."

"You really shouldn't befriend scoundrels like Todd, son. Police had evidence of him stealing so much. He's currently serving time in prison."

He was sinking into a deeper pit and he saw no way to get out of it. What was worse was his mind or heart still wanted to think it was a coincidence. He didn't know how to come to terms with Harold manipulating his entire life in that way. Ruining the lives of so many, just to have total control of him. "What happened to Edward?"

"You really have poor choice in friends. He was found to have a lot of child pornography in his home." Harold clicked his tongue. "Couldn't face the prison time and took his own life."

Wounded by the knowledge of another person he use to be close with, dead, Ward lowered his eyes. With gradual trepidation, he wondered if this was a new thing or if Harold had started orchestrating all this back when he was younger. "...My first girlfriend?" Ward asked with growing dismay.

A new glint of amusement passed over Harold, his son was finally grasping it. "Terrible what happened to her. Her father was wanted for tax evasion and was sent to prison. The mother couldn't provide for her. Last I heard they both ended up on the streets."

Feeling more and more drained, he asked one last question, even though he knew it was for naught. Because of course Harold had somehow managed to manipulate everyone away from him without him even realizing it. How could he have been so blind as to not notice? "What did you do to Brad?" Brad had been his one and only friend in high school, but after their junior year, he had disappeared. It made his senior year, leading up to taking over the company as soon as he graduated unbearable.

"You think I had a part to play in him being sent to Juvie?"

His whole life was just one clusterfuck of manipulation and isolation. Where once he found strength in being alone, now all he found was Harold.

"So who do you have to turn to Ward?"

Desperately, he tried to think of someone, anyone. However, the only people he saw with any frequency were the board members. When had his life solely revolved around Harold and work? Or is that how Harold kept him from realizing he was getting further and further away from people? He definitely couldn't talk to any of them. They were a swarm of vulture's, hanging on as long as you were making money. The moment things turned south, they'd pick you apart and betray you without a single regret. There was one person that Ward could think of.

"Joy." Ward finally spoke with a hard edge to his voice.

Harold's upper lip curled upwards, revealing a dangerously manic smile. As Harold reached down, Ward glanced away. "Wrong answer." Was whispered as he reached into his pants pocket and grabbed his son's phone.

Ward was passed his limit and accepted whatever Harold had planned for him. He no longer had the energy to fight back. His voice came out breathy, as he asked. "What are you doing?" He felt defeated and numb.

The painful grip on his hair was gone while Harold turned to Ward's phone and pulled up his contacts. He thrusted the phone into Ward's hand after dialing a number. Her number. "So talk to her, if she's who you've got. Tell her everything."

There was no way he could and they both knew it. Ward couldn't risk telling Joy anything, only to put her in danger, or worse. Not to mention, she'd stop talking to him the moment she found out he had been lying to her for years. Somehow, Ward found the durability to raise the phone to his ear. Hearing the phone ringing made the situation so much more real and he felt his own heartbeat race. A moan of pain escaped him, when Harold punched him hard in the back. He hadn't thought Harold was that demented, but he had found a way to include Joy in the insanity and now a piece of her was going to be forever contaminated. Ward blamed himself. **_Why hadn't he just kept her out of it?_** He was forced back onto his feet and his heartbeat grew more thunderous as her phone continued to ring. Perhaps, this would be the one time she didn't answer.

"Lay face down on the couch. And don't hang up until I tell you too." He didn't have to be told to keep a hold of his phone to his ear. This was meant to be punishment and Ward was reminded just how much he didn't recognize the monster his father was. "I'm the only one you have Ward. The only one who you have left."

Stiffly, he laid down on the couch, unsure what to expect and uncertain of his own emotions. He shut them down, knowing it would be better to close himself off to what was to come. A startled noise pushed passed his lips just as Joy had answered the phone, but she thankfully hadn't heard. His eyes went wide and he got completely quiet. Even Harold pressing into his sore back didn't phase him. All he could hear was Joy's sleepy voice on the other end. This reopened the door to his emotions, sadly, and Ward began to feel the turmoil inside once more.

"Ward? Is that you? Do you know what time it is?"

He swallowed around the lump in his throat, but said nothing. If he opened his mouth to speak, he feared he wouldn't be able to contain the pain. She'd hear him, hear the abuse that she had been blissfully ignorant of and it'd raise too many questions; and Harold was right. He was the only one left. He had made sure of that. If he had to be an asshole to Joy and continue to lie to her to keep their relationship, then he'd do it. He didn't think he'd be able to handle losing Joy. Ever.

"Ward?" Her voice was more clear and awake.

"J-J-Joy." Ward bit down on his lip once more as he felt pain erupt in his back.

"What's wrong? You don't usually call me this late."

"Yeah, I know." He ended abruptly, sucking in a breath to keep from crying out. At that point, he didn't even know what Harold was doing to him, but he was doing his best to get Ward to yell out in agony. His left hand fisted the couch cushion and his right held his phone tightly to his ear. His knuckles were starting to go white and he twisted the cushion to channel the pain.

"Ward!? Are you sure you're okay? You sound a little off."

White dots flashed in front of his eyes and blood filled his mouth. It was all he could do to keep from screaming out, whatever Harold was doing it fucking hurt. A small whimper did tumble out of his mouth.

Joy's voice grew more alert and raised in pitch. But all Ward could focus on was the constant jabs of pain coming from his back and it was only increasing in intensity. He could hear Joy's frantic voice, but the words were lost and muffled. Harold grew more aggressive with his attacks, and they were happening in an accelerated rate. Unable to take anymore, he dropped his phone, his grip on the couch loosened, and he fell forward in a exhausted groan of pain. His eyes rolled up into his head and the last thing he heard was Joy's shrill and panicked voice. He went limp and Harold immediately stopped his assault.

Harold smirked down at Ward, leaning over and quickly grabbing the phone out from under Ward's lax hand. This was about punishing his son for his insolence, but it was also about hearing his daughter's sweet voice. He had frequently heard her voice when he listened into the bugs and camera's he installed all over the Rand building. So it wasn't going to be the first time in a long time. But just hearing her voice over the phone, right next to his ear, was more personal to Harold. He would no longer feel detached when he saw or heard her through the camera. Hesitating, but only for a moment, he put the receiver to his ear and smiled at the sound of her voice. His solace over hearing her voice had quickly turned sour at hearing her concern over her shit of a brother.

"Ward? Ward! Come on, talk to me. You...you sound like you're hurt or upset. Ward....are you alone?"

His baby girl...He took one last second to let her voice wash over him, even if it was only for Ward, before he licked at his lips and made the decision to close the phone. He couldn't say anything to Joy, and if he ever did, The Hand would surely kill her. Once the phone call had been ended, he whispered,"Hello Joy."

Setting the phone down onto the table beside the couch, he regarded Ward and what he was going to be doing with him. He had made sure it was still on mute beforehand. Harold didn't want to be interrupted further. He gazed down at Ward's limp body and he practically laid on top of him. He got close enough to hear his son's breathing, but he laid there for several minutes before he really began to believe that Ward was still alive. Getting off the couch, he crouched down to be near his son's face. Relief only flooded through him when he saw Ward's face. He almost appeared to be asleep, but Harold knew better. Lovingly, he brushed some of his hair back and off his face. He wanted to strengthen Ward up, but looking at his son's slack face, he did question what he was really doing to Ward, and what he really wanted from his son.

"Oh Ward. What did I do?" His fingertips trailed down the side of Ward's face, tracing the shape of his cheek bone. His inspection came across a healing bruise, hidden underneath makeup. His eyes peered at his own fingers possessively mapping Ward's face, but he stopped when he noticed the state of his hands. all his knuckles were bloody and some of his fingers were starting to swell up. It seemed he had done almost as much damage to his own hands as he had to Ward's back. With a deep sigh, he rolled Ward onto his back, got a good grip on him, and then hoisted him up into his arms. He carried him through his penthouse, his eyes constantly looking back down to make sure his son's chest was still rising and falling with every breath. Entering his spare room, he laid Ward down on the King sized bed on the left side of the room. He re-situated his son onto his stomach, to put less pressure on his badly busted back. It wouldn't help by morning, Ward would be in excruciating pain, and no pain killers he had on him would even help, but it was all he could do. He crawled into bed beside his son and let his hand go back to stroking his face. For just a moment he could pretend Ward was awake, and he smiled at the thought of Ward's brown eyes boring into his. Those deep pools of brown. The same as his wife's eyes, the same fire and determination. He shivered as he ran his fingers under Ward's eyes, to his nose and down to the tip.

"Ward." Harold continued to run his fingers all over his son's face. "I took things too far and I'm sorry." Running his fingers through Ward's hair, he felt all those familiar urges. The ones he always held back on; the ones he so often unleashed on his only son. Ward was the only one who got to see the real him. His hands returned to the slack face and Harold's thumb sensually swiped at Ward's bottom lip. Call him crazy, but it almost felt like he was touching her lip. Tenderly, he wiped away the blood that was there, as his own heart rate sped up. "But there's a part of me that wants to do so much more and I wouldn't hesitate to do it all again."

His nighttime examination went down to Ward's smooth neck. He mimicked choking Ward, wrapping his hand loosely around it, not nearly enjoying it as much as he knew he would if Ward were really awake; terrified and gasping for air. He ignored the little voice in his head telling him to go ahead and choke him until he stopped breathing and resumed his harmless touching. "I can't help myself son. I just revel in it too much. And you really do bring it on yourself. All you have to do is listen to me." He tutted at Ward's unconscious form, trying to justify to himself his actions towards the younger man.

Getting closer, Harold wrapped one possessive arm around Ward's waist. "The resemblance between you and your mother is uncanny. You even act like her." He left a kiss on the side of Ward's forehead.

He wanted to be close to his son and he wanted to love him. Sadly, he loved hurting him even more, and he didn't think he could stop himself. He fell asleep beside Ward with one last thought in his mind; He didn't want to.

* * *

 

_The park was bustling with life, children were laughing and in the background dogs could be heard barking. It was a typical New York afternoon and the sunlight filtered through the clearing. Young brown eyes took in the sight before him and a smile lit his face. Other kids were in the distance, playing on the swing set and other playground equipment, and a few of them had even beckoned him over. As he raced down the hill to join them in their fun, the distance only grew until they were just specks of dots on the horizon. A sense of doom overcame the park and on cue, a darkness rolled overhead blotting out the sun. He was trapped as it crept into the park and surrounded him like a foreboding mist, until he was left in a sea of black. He cried out, but his voice had been silenced, swallowed up in the void. Nothingness. Soon however, there was two tiny dots in the distance, but as they grew and got closer, he could make out dark glowing crimson eyes. They advanced and replaced the darkness, consuming him in a fiery storm, burning him alive. That soon faded as well, leaving him singed, hurting and alone in front of a looming figure._

_It was Harold, only it wasn't exactly Harold. He was gnarled and contorted. His eyes were demented and darker. His nose was longer and sharper. With razor sharp teeth and a reddish hue to his skin. His skin was mottled and blemished and his smile was crooked and all wrong. He half expected Harold to unhinge his jaw like a snake and eat him alive. He was every bit as monstrous as his actions always made him seem and those evil eyes. They followed Ward everywhere. Screaming out, Ward tried to flee, to get away. But no longer was he a fast and small child. His limbs were too long and awkward and he fell down. There was no where to run, with a mostly black, grey and red void still surrounding him, but his irrational thoughts were all telling him to get out and to run away. But he had fallen and he was still falling._

_He felt a strike on his head, regardless, as though he were being punished for even thinking about running. His body still struggled on the way down seeing Harold large hands reaching out of the void to grab at him. More pain rippled through him, until that was all he felt and all he could taste and see was blood. He cried out, shook, and fought his way free, but there was a barrier holding him down. The more he tried to escape, the more pain he could feel. He almost surrendered to Harold, just to stop the pain, but at the last moment he broke the barrier and entered a whole new world of pain._

 

Ward woke up in a frenzy, trying to roll away from whatever held him down. The more he moved, the more his body screamed in misery. Every muscle was on fire and coupled with his nightmare still fresh in his mind, he grappled even more. He became aware of a shushing noise to his right, as well as a hand rubbing his side in what would have been a comforting gesture if it hadn't been the familiar touch of his father. Despite his instincts still telling him to run, a possible bleed through from his recent nightmare, he froze in the arms of his father. He couldn't deal with another beating, as his brain caught up with him and he recalled all the events of last night. He laid there for a moment, to calm his breathing down and to let Harold think he was actually helping. A happy Harold was still just as scary, but it was less demanding on his broken body. It seemed to have the desired effect, as the arm holding him down relaxed. He moved his head to the right and came face to face with Harold.

Ward's deep brown eyes stared at him, but it wasn't what he had been expecting. They weren't full of fire, instead they were cold. Harold felt a frown begin to tug at his lips as once again Ward found a new way to rob him of what he wanted. "Morning Ward."

Ward mumbled a morning, still trying to please Harold. He knew he was going to have a rough time just getting back to his apartment with as bad as his back was aching, and after running out of his pain killers, getting through the day was in itself going to be a chore. If he didn't have that meeting with Pond, then he would just curl up in bed and stay there all day. His eyes did flick away from Harold towards the exit, and his hope sank when he realized Harold was between him and freedom. What little freedom he did get, which judging from everything he learned last night, wasn't much. When he realized something was jabbing him in the side, his attention was drawn away from the exit. A quick look down had confirmed his assumption and he couldn't stop his body from squirming away. The jolt of pain was instant and he moaned pitifully.

"It's morning, son. What did you expect? We all have needs." He gazed down at Ward's pants. "Well most of us." With one final stroke along his side, he held Ward's hand in his. Ward's eyes widened a fraction as he watched Harold unzip his pants and force his hand inside. Harold still held his hand and guided it to fist his father's cock.

He turned away, not wanting to see what was going on. **_It wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening!_**

"No." Harold commanded, before using his other hand to pull Ward's face back to his. "You want out, you want your freedom? Then you'll watch."

He had tried unsuccessfully to wrench his face out of Harold's grip, but he finally got the picture. With renewed hate, he saw Harold smirk at him. The fire was back in his eyes and it gave Harold exactly what he wanted. Their hands started moving together, and Ward hated Harold, and himself for being used in such a way. He had felt that cock violate his body plenty of times before, but this seemed different. This was more personal, they were face to face, staring at each other. At his hate, and he at Harold's pleasure. His body started to shake being faced with the reality. When Harold's eyes started to half close and his mouth dropped open in pleasure, Ward tuned out.

His mind drifted away and he accepted what was happening. He'd get to leave and pretend it never happened. He was in so much pain, and he really didn't want to be on the other end of Harold's fist again. He would do anything to keep that from happening. However, his brain had to shut off to remain sane. Harold had seen the exact moment that his will overpowered his son's as he saw his brown eyes glaze over. He had succombed to him and Harold groaned in pleasure.

He removed his hand from Ward's and was not surprised when Ward continued to jerk him off without any further coercion. He had gone by the pace Harold had set and while he was turned on by the hold and manipulation he held over his son, it would never be enough to get him off. He threaded his hands through Ward's hair, and began thrusting into Ward's fist. He was getting more friction and whatever mindless actions controlling Ward's body caught on to what Harold was doing and what he needed. Ward started stroking faster, and Harold's head fell against the pillow.

"Ward." He moaned loudly, his hands still in Ward's hair.

The sound of his name coming out of Harold's mouth caught up with him, and his motions came to a screeching halt. His subconscious knew something was off, and his conscious mind was starting to resurface. Harold saw the hatred and fire start to peek back into his brown orbs. "Don't stop." One hand went down to Ward's back and applied pressure. Just enough to remind him of the pain that would be in store for him if he did. There was a shudder of pain that ran through Ward and a wince to his eyes, but it was all his body and mind needed to cooperate.

The stroking resumed faster and harder and Harold lost himself to the pleasure. Ward didn't really return to himself, until he heard Harold yell out, and felt a warm sticky mess all over his hand. However, he was still not all there. He felt so detached from the world, and no longer seemed to care what was happening. He got up from the bed without a word, slowly dragging himself out of the room and towards the door. There was no resistance and Harold let him leave as if nothing happened, and didn't care.

* * *

The entire drive back to his apartment had been done on autopilot. He somehow survived the drive, but the entire ordeal had been a bit of an out of body experience for Ward. The walk up to his building and to his apartment had been slow, not to jar his injured back. He had gotten a few peculiar looks, but he hadn't noticed anything as he made it up to his floor. Pulling out his keys, he raised his hand to the door knob and everything came back to him in a rush. Snapping back into himself, he noticed some white flakes dried on the top of his hand. He turned his hand over and immediately scrubbed the evidence off onto the shirt under his blazer.

His stomach flip flopped and he scrubbed harder until the rough material of his shirt turned his palm red. No matter how hard he scrubbed at his hand though, it didn't erase what he had done. Traded a beating for a handjob. The knowledge of what had transpired between him and Harold kept him from noticing the aching in his back. He quickly entered his apartment, not caring if Harold was back at his computer spying on him at home, he just needed the illusion of safety to pull himself back together. Or into a reasonable and passable shell of whatever his father wanted him to be. No sooner did he close his door, did he feel the prickle of being watched and he spun around to see another person standing in his kitchen.

_Joy._

She was standing in the doorway, a mug of coffee in her hand and an unreadable expression on her face. Joy looked good, though Ward could see some circles under her eyes, likely from stress and lack of sleep. She set the mug down on the counter and ran over to him. There was no hug, though there was some relief in her blue eyes. It didn't stop his stomach from cramping uncomfortably.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You had me so worried!" Joy tucked her wavy hair behind her ears nervously as she pointed a glare in his direction. She pressed further, when Ward had nothing to say to her. Not even a flippant _'Morning to you too, Joy'_. "That phone call last night, scared me to death! I thought someone had broken into your apartment or that you had been hurt somehow. You're lucky I didn't call the police. I rushed here as soon as we had lost connection, but you weren't here. You didn't come home at all last night. Where were you?!"

Ward bit the inside of his cheek, keeping himself from spilling everything. He debated telling her that he was attacked last night, fudging the details and telling her he got mugged. She didn't have to know the whole truth. She'd believe him, and if he ever needed help and support, it was then. But he feared what Harold would do if he clung to Joy, and he couldn't afford to look weak to Joy or Harold. He licked at his dry lips. "I was piss drunk last night, alright."

She started to point her finger at him, but she stemmed her anger and got straight to the point. To the real issue that was bugging her. "And you didn't even care enough to call me this morning to let me know you were alright?"

After a beat, Ward glanced away from her and took a deep breath in. He hadn't expected her to slap him across his cheek, but she had. The sting spread out over half his face and he felt his stomach knot up so fast. He felt the pit of his stomach begin to burn and he held back as long as he could. "You need to get your shit together, Ward. I can't keep doing this. It's two weeks of hell for every one day I actually have a big brother."

She threw her hands in the air, frustrated that she wasn't getting through to him, and missed the flinch from Ward. As soon as she stormed out of the apartment, Ward stumbled to the bathroom, just barely making it before he emptied all his stomach contents into the toilet. He dropped down to his knees, staying close to the bowl in case he had to vomit again. Silent tears formed in his eyes, and threatened to fall, but he held them back. He was losing Joy, he knew it, it was only a matter of time. After a few minutes, of his stomach settling, he stood up and rinsed his mouth out with water and mouthwash. Shakily, he reached into his pocket for his phone. He'd need to schedule a doctor's appointment and get a stronger prescription for pain. His phone wasn't in his pocket, so he checked the rest of his pockets.

**Shit.**

He must have left his phone at Harold's. After what happened, he had planned not to return for a few days. Now, he had no choice.


	4. Avaritia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There should be more graphic abuse in this chapter, as well as child abuse, and the typical Ward Angst, so be forewarned. And though this chapter is dark, it does actually end on a lighter tone. I gave Ward a break. Also, I don't think Ward and Joy's mother's name was ever mentioned in the show, and I couldn't find a mention of her in the comics. So I made up a name. If I overlooked her name in the show/comics, then feel free to correct me. I can change the name (it's an easy fix).
> 
> Enjoy the chapter. ^_^

"You just couldn't stay away." Harold sized him up like he was just a piece of flesh. They were definitely the eyes of a predator and it didn't set well with Ward at all. "You want more of Daddy's cock?"

Reminded of what had just transpired an hour ago, Ward unconsciously wiped his clean hand on his pants. "No you sick-"

"Sick what?" Harold cocked his head to the side, watching Ward with amused and dark eyes. Harold wasn't above hitting him for it. He'd been hit for less. So Ward bit the inside of his cheek to remain hushed. "Aren't you the sick one? Addicted to pills, constantly coming back to me, no matter what transpires between us."

Bastard. "I'm not...I..." Oh great, he couldn't even come up with coherent sentences. "I'm not you." Ward spat out.

"No. You're weak."

Harold didn't let up with his intense stare, and Ward wondered if he was doing it just to make him uncomfortable. He was uncomfortable, and still aware that Harold was sick enough to abuse him more. The abuse was always different, determined by Harold's particular mood. Which could swing and drop in a second. He was dangerous and unpredictable and Ward didn't want to get baited by Harold and caught up in something he'd regret later. He'd get to the point and then leave.

"Fine, dad. I'm weak and such a huge disappointment for you." He spoke in a petulant tone. However, he didn't want to admit that he actually believed those words about himself.

He turned away and began walking further into his Penthouse, and like a wounded puppy, Ward followed after him. "What do you want Ward?"

"You know what I want. I left my..." He stuttered. Even though it was such a simple request, his mind raced back to images of the night before. A twinge in his back also served to remind him of the beating he endured while on the phone with Joy. "My..phone." He finished lamely.

Harold had led him to the couch, and Ward had thought in some childish way, that there would have been blood or some evidence of the horrors that had been inflicted on him less then twelve hours ago. There was nothing, it was pristine. Glancing quickly around, he saw no sign of his phone, even though this had been the last place he remembered having it in his possession.

"I have your phone." Harold stated, not bothering to sit down yet. He took up a stance in front of Ward, that made the younger man leery. "I have something else that may interest you as well." Reaching into his pant's pocket, he pulled out a small cylindrical container. Ward didn't know or care what specifically those pills were. They would help him get through the day until he could see a doctor. And damnit, his father knew it.

"What-What are those?" Ward tried to pretend to be disinterested.

"You may be weak, but I didn't raise you to be stupid Ward. Or do I have to add that to the list as well?"

"Shut up."

"Talking back to your father?" Harold fiddled with the bottle, noticing every time Ward's eyes went back to the pills inside.

"No. I'm sorry. I...I..."

Harold shrugged, as he placed the container back into his pocket and closed the distance between them. "I wonder..." He drifted off, letting it hang in the air; baiting his son to play in his game. Ward always took the bait and Harold always found a way to deceive him and twist him into what he wanted.

This was a trap, and Ward walked into it knowingly. He needed those pills and after what he endured, he was ready to lap up even the smallest kindness from Harold. Getting and giving him pills to cope with the pain he was in, was nicer than Ward thought Harold was capable of. "What dad? What is it your wondering in that sick mind of yours?" Came his quick and unthinking response. His hope for temporarily relief sank when he realized Harold would feel insulted. But his ill feeling returned when Harold responded.

"I wonder how far you'd go, and what you'd be willing to do to get these pills. Addict."

"I'm not an ad-" He pursed his lips. "You're going to put strings on this?"

"I told you, you're weak Ward. Did you expect a free handout? Have I taught you nothing of business and how to run one?"

"This has nothing to do with business or teaching me some sort of lesson. You're just using this as an excuse to be a fucking-" Ward backed up when Harold got into his space,"Don't-"

But Harold didn't listen. Harold's large hand was between his legs and groping at his limp dick. "If I promised you those pain relievers, would you get hard for me?"

It'd been so long since anyone, even himself, had touched him. But Ward was not going to get hard. There was no way! He'd ignored his body's physical needs for so long, that he was petrified that a single touch, even from his abusive father, would evoke a physical reaction. He snarled in Harold's face regardless. "I'd cut it off before I gave you that satisfaction!"

Harold didn't let up and Ward pushed him away. Harold wrestled with Ward, until he unzipped his son's pants and shoved his hand underneath that and his underwear. Harold knew just how long it was for Ward, and imagined Ward would be quite sensitive to touch now. "I want to know Ward. I want to see if you've gotten at least one thing from me."

"Stop...Stop touching me. You sick fuck!" Ward cried out as he wiggled away from his father. His hands shook slightly as he zipped himself back up. "I'm not doing a thing for you, or with you. Keep the pills and the phone."

"You don't need the pills? You don't want them?" He laughed as he pushed Ward hard enough into the wall behind him. His back caught the edging, and Ward howled out, unprepared for renewed attacks on his marred back. He fell forward, collapsing in on himself, but still somehow managed to stay standing on his feet. Ward was doubled over in pain, when Harold slapped him hard on the back. "Then leave."

He panted harshly, as he dealt with the shooting pain spreading out to the entirety of his backside. Using the arm of the couch, he put a lot of his weight on the inanimate object. "I-I'm not some prositute off the street." Even as he said it, Ward felt he had already lost. He felt that itch and he knew how badly he needed and wanted those pills. That he would do just about anything to get them.

There was a short bark of a laugh from behind him. "No. They at least demand cash for their business."

Ward wiped away at his stinging eyes, letting that damn void, numb him to Harold's attacks; verbal and otherwise. Squaring his shoulders, he stood up and faced his father. The cold deadened eyes crept back into Ward's expression and Harold felt a mixture of emotions. Ward's hands rested at the top hem of his dress pants. "Is this what you really want?" His voice was on automatic and niether man even recognized it.

Harold grinned maliciously. "No. Don't get me wrong, it'd be amusing to watch, but your pleasure doesn't interest me."

Ward did nothing as he thought over Harold's words. Finally, he removed his hands from his pants, relaxing them at his sides. "Then what do you want?"

"I want to know your limits. How far will you actually go for these?" The pounding in his back got worse. "All you have to do is wait till the end of the day for a new prescription Ward. You could leave."

"Please. Dad, I can't wait that long." Ward croaked out when another shot of pain ran through his back making his entire body shudder.

"I'm not a monster Ward." Harold took out one of the pills and offered it to Ward. "I'll give you one just to take the edge off. But you'll have to do whatever I want you to. Deal?"

Ward stared murderously at the pill in Harold's hand, expecting Harold to take it away in some cruel joke and laugh at his weakness as soon as he gave consent. He could have waited til the end of the day, if Harold hadn't thrown him into the nearest wall earlier. In truth, he never should have returned to his psychotic father, but he just couldn't seem to stay away. "Don't bring Joy into this...at all. And you got a deal."

He took the pill offered to him when Harold didn't object to his only restriction, and hoped it would take effect soon. If he was slightly buzzed and numb, it would make doing whatever Harold had in mind, easier.

"I want you to get down on your knees and suck me off."

Ward's eyebrows knit together, and his face grew pale. Nausea overtook Ward again and he asked for clarification. "What?"

"You heard me, Ward." He grabbed Ward's face just as he was about to say something. Catching his mouth open, Harold used his index finger to caress his top and bottom lip, moaning softly as he did so. He plunged one of his fingers into Ward's mouth, massaging his tongue with the digit. "Mmm...these lips were made for sucking cock."

Ward shivered at the taste on Harold's fingertip. Could he really do what his dad was asking? Ward didn't think he had it in him, but what choice did he have in the matter?

"I wonder if you'll be as good as Sarah."

His gag reflex kicked in and with forceful movements, he shoved Harold away from him. He fell to the ground gagging, holding his stomach and feeling sluggish and queasy. He knew why. Ward had always known Harold saw her in him, he saw the resemblance too, from photographs and what little he could remember. But it unnerved him all the same. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, but for all his gagging, he had not vomited. "I'm not mom. Stop comparing me to her."

There was a smirk on Harold's face. "You're more like her then me."

"Is that why you've always hated me?" His voice was soft and not meant to be heard. He couldn't bring himself to look up. Getting to his feet, his head still lowered, he made his way out of the livingroom, away from Harold. He was facing the dining table when Harold finally caught up to him. Ward teetered on his feet, losing his balance somewhat, that is until Harold's hand had steadied him.

"You can be so cruel sometimes." His anger was under the surface and Ward braced himself for another beating. If he'd just done what Harold asked. He could barely stand up straight, and more physical attacks would put him out for a few days at least.

"I misspoke. It won't happen again."

Harold smoothed down his hair. "Good boy." When Harold's hands were back on him, Ward tried to block everything out. With how crappy he had been feeling, it hadn't been hard. He drifted in and out, not catching enough to grasp what was happening to him. He had been standing one moment, and in the next he was laying face down on the dining table. When he came back, he was over one of the chairs and there was so much screaming but then it was gone. Ward felt like he was a rag-doll, a muddled one that couldn't hold a thought. He had tried to piece together what was happening, but it just wasn't working. There may have been pleading involved and skin connected with skin. Hitting, fucking, it was just all a blur.

In his amusement and for his own entertainment, Harold yelled. "Kyle. Get in here."

Ward moaned pathetically and started chanting no, over and over again. Harold laughed at his whimpering before releasing him. "So out of it, that you've forgotten that Kyle was never here today. Junkie...Whore."

Ward gasped, pushing himself away from the table. If Ward had been more clear headed, he would have known or suspected something had been off with the pill Harold had given him. However, he couldn't think. Nothing seemed real. Harold had him so confused, scared and twisted, that he believed he had consented, and yielded to his father. All for some pills. He was dragged to the floor and was faced with Harold's eyes. He couldn't even tell what Harold was feeling, his vision was so out of focus. "Everything's spinning."

There was a gentle pat to his cheek, but it wasn't enough to pull him out of his funk. "How are you feeling?"

"I...don't-" A wave of dizziness came over him and he lost the ability to finish his sentence. Blinking rapidly, and shaking his head only made him feel so much worse. "What's wrong with me?"

"Shh...you're just a bit under the weather. Everything will be okay. I've got you Ward." Those eyes never changed, not that Ward would have noticed otherwise.

He was pulled closer to Harold and didn't even register his mouth on his. A tongue breached passed his lips and started entwining with his. It was mapping out and tasting every part of his mouth that it could reach. Ward's brain was too fuzzy to catch up. _**What was happening to him?**_

A moan tore its way out of his throat, but Ward was too out of it to know that had come from him. Fingers were holding him still, clutching the nape of his neck. And then the moist masculine lips were back on his. "You taste even better than I've fantasized about."

Tongue, teeth, and lips were back and it was still something Ward couldn't process. He didn't even know if he was responding at all. "I'll have you this way. Without the drugs, you'll submit to me soon. I can feel it." He was back, assaulting his mouth hungrily.

Harold yelled out as he fell backwards and away. Blood was dripping out of Ward's mouth and Harold held a hand over his. Even in his drug induced state, Ward had enough fight left in him to bite down on Harold's invading organ. Thankfully, it hadn't been his cock, but Harold was too impressed to be mad. It seemed it was going to take longer to break Ward. Maybe Ward wasn't as weak as Harold believed him to be.

An undetermined amount of time later, a fog lifted only to be replaced by a block of pressure filling his head. Ward found himself sprawled in a heap on Harold's couch. His phone was under his arm, still muted. Grabbing at his head hadn't helped at all with the pounding. Though he still covered his face and muffled the shout of pain behind his hands. He felt something dry around his mouth and wiped it off with his hands. The dry flakes in his hands seemed to trigger him and his heart leaped and Ward started scrubbing his hands off frantically on his pants. He didn't know why he had panicked, but his heart rate slowed when he noticed they were hard red flakes. Dried blood. **_What happened? Why couldn't he remember anything?_**

Footsteps approached him and he jumped when Harold sat down beside him. There was a glass of scotch in his hand. "Bit early to be drinking." His voice croaked and his throat was raw and swollen. His brows furrowed in confusion. And once more he tried to think through the haze to what had transpired, but came up empty handed. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

Ward scrubbed a hand through his hair, but there were still no answers. "It's all blank."

Absently, he grabbed his phone to check it and saw all the calls from Joy that he had missed. He had this strangest feeling that he had talked to her on the phone, but that feeling soon went away. He shot up, puzzled as to why his back was throbbing more than usual. "I've got about a dozen missed calls from Joy. And I'm going to be late for work."

Giving one last look to Harold, he felt like he was missing a big chunk of something. If Harold was involved though, it was probably for the best that he couldn't recall anything after his yesterday board meeting.

"Oh Ward?" Ward glanced behind his shoulder. "Can you pick me up some groceries tonight? You know how incompetant Kyle is. Plus, you know what I like."

A tremor passed over Ward, but he quickly agreed and left in a hurry.

* * *

 

_Eight years old, and sitting happily at the counter in their kitchen, Ward sat with his notebook open and a pencil in his hand. His small legs dangled over the barstool as he kicked them idly, while he munched on a cookie. He'd gotten most of his homework done, but his mind was drifting and he didn't want to finish it. He hid the cookie he stole under his notebook, when the doors to the kitchen swung open. A tall, and thin woman came up behind him. "Have you finished you're homework yet?"_

_Swallowing the cookie that had been in his mouth, he shook his head. "Not yet mom." He grew silent and averted his eyes when Harold came into the room to grab a bottle of beer out of their fridge._

_"Well you better hurry. The sooner you finish your homework, the sooner you can go outside and play with your friends." He hunched his shoulders over, but made it seem like he was going back to his homework. "What's wrong honey?" She put a hand to his forehead._

_"Stop coddling your son." Harold harped._

_Sarah ran a hand through her straight dark brown hair. Her eyes nervously ran over Ward's face, sagging in relief when it didn't appear that Ward was sick._

_Ward chewed on his lower lip and sighed. "What does it matter? None of the other kids...they all hate me."_

_Sarah pulled his hair back and off of his face, but before she could console him, or give him the attention and touch he needed, Harold had pushed her away. "He doesn't need you fawning all over him. You're going to teach him nothing with that attitude. He needs a strong role model."_

_Sarah shrugged as she walked away. "Don't just lecture him Harry. Talk to your son. It may not be a problem you can fix."_

_"I can fix everything."_

_She scoffed, but the cries of their youngest, caught her attention. "You going to buy his friends?" Rolling her eyes she headed out of the kitchen. "Help Ward, I'm going to go check on Joy."_

_Harold glowered, wanting to go see his princess but instead was left holding his son's hand while he whimpered over having no friends. "Come on Ward. I'll show you how to be feared."_

_"I...I don't want that." Ward still let Harold pull him off his stool and away into the back room. He entered his father's den, too busy looking at everything for the first time, to hear the lock click into place. He wasn't allowed into Harold's den and he was too afraid of his father's wicked eyes and too young to disobey him._

_"Trust me Ward. If you're feared, you'll push away a lot of people. The ones that stick with you are either your true friends, or will be too afraid of you to ever cross you again. It's a win-win."_

_"I want them to like me."_

_"They'll never like you Ward. You come from money. All they will ever see is your money and will do anything to take it. You will listen to me and you will do as I say. I will not have my oldest being taken advantage of."_

_"Dad....you're hurting me." Ward whined as he tried to wrench his arm away from Harold._

_"You'll never amount to anything, if you don't toughen up." Harold let go of his hold on Ward, just to backhand him across his face._

_Ward fell down, his hand flying to his cheek and he felt his face flush in embarrassment. His bottom lip jutted out and his mind whirled in turmoil. He rubbed at his sore cheek, as he awaited his father. Had that even happened? His young mind was already beginning to believe it never happened. The stinging on his cheek was starting to fade, and it was just simpler and easier to think he made it up, rather then come to terms with that his own father could hit him._

_"How do you feel?"_

_Ward was all set to block this instance away, but when his father forced him to acknowledge it, the tears burned his eyes, and they ran down his cheeks, hot and wet. His mouth watered and he began to sob. "Why?"_

_"How do you feel Ward? It's a simple question."_

_He stood in the center of the den, still holding his cheek, while he wept under the scrutiny of his father. The weeping was more of an answer and Harold wouldn't be satisfied with anything Ward would have come up with. He unbuckled his belt slowly. Despite only being eight years old, Ward seemed to have an innate understanding of what was going on. He turned sharply and ran for the door, only to discover it was locked. He fiddled with the handle, his hands too shaky to unlock it, and then looked for any place to hide. His father's den was soundproof, that much he could remember and it wouldn't matter how much he cried or screamed, his mother and baby sister wouldn't hear him anyway._

_He ran behind the chair, and cowered from his father, but there was no good place to hide in the den, probably why Harold had taken him down there in the first place. He was grabbed and pulled by his ankle, the carpet underneath him burning his skin as he was dragged along it. With nowhere to go, he rolled into the fetal position, giving his father the smallest target possible. The first strike of his belt landed on his back and Ward cried out in pain. The screaming soon started and welts began to form on his skin._

_"This will only end when you stop crying. You need to be strong, or you'll never survive the other kids in school. The ones who will beat you up for money. The ones who will charm you out of your money. You'll never survive in the real world either. Show me you're like me. That you're tough. It hurts, son. But you'll thank me one day. I'm doing you a favor."_

_The tears kept flowing, and he sobbed and shouted, but he stuffed one of his fists into his mouth to silence anymore noise. He only heard how to get all the pain to stop, and that the other kids would do this to him. It was already starting. One of the older boys had tripped him in the hall, another one demanded he needed to pay a twenty dollar fine for being in the hall after the bell rang. He'd gotten a few threats, and had once been tricked into the school's boiler room and got locked inside. He had been sweaty and deliriously hot by the time the school janitor found him and let him out. Harold was right. He needed to get stronger, needed to be feared. He'd take a stand and be worse then those that were bullying him; it was the only way he'd survive High school._

_His backside was still thrumming in pain, but the cracks of his dad's belt had stopped landing on him. Harold dropped the belt as he looked down at the quivering mass he had reduced his son to. Ward's eyes snapped open, glued to the belt laying on the floor. He gasped softly when Harold dropped to his knees, wrapped his arms around him and pulled him to his body. He buried his head in the crook of his son's neck, and kept muttering how sorry he was._

_Ward sucked in a deep breath and then moaned softly when Harold tenderly touched and inspected his back, his sides, his butt and his thighs. Everywhere where the belt may have hit or reached. "Sorry. Sorry. Sorry." Harold felt his own eyes get misty as he held Ward closely to his own body. He couldn't quite explain what had come over him. He'd give in to one of **those** urges and yet there was this part of him that was sad it had ended too soon._

_Ward did cling to his father's embrace, needing the closeness even if it was from the one that had just hurt him. He cried into his father's shirt, sniffling loudly so his snot wouldn't dribble out of his nose. Aside from his sniffling, his crying was kept silent, obeying his father to remain quiet._

_"God Ward. I'm so sorry." He clutched at Ward, tightly. "All I could see was everyone using you and you letting them turn you into a doormat. It's no excuse, but I don't want anything to happen to you."_

_"Daddy." He threw his skinny arms around his neck. They stayed in each other's arms for quite a while. Long enough for Harold to realize he liked it; too much. Wrong, wrong. It was all wrong._

_"Alright, it's time to run along. Your mother will be worried about you."_

_"But-" Whatever Ward had seen on Harold' face, it had stopped him cold in his tracks. He got out of his father's arms and keeping his front facing Harold, he moved slowly towards the door. There was something disquieting about his father that he didn't trust. After he felt the door handle, he managed to locate the lock, unlock it and then jetted out of there so fast, without looking back._

_He avoided his mother on his way up to his bedroom. His hands were already removing his shirt before he thought better of it. A mass collection of red welts and already forming bruises were all over his back, his shoulders, and even on the backs of his arms. Hate and anger began to consume him; he just didn't know where to direct it. Instead, he laid down on his bed, on his stomach and buried his head in his pillow. His thoughts and emotions were all over the place, that he never once heard his door open or feel the dip in his bed. A touch to his burning side had him jerking up in pain. "Ow!"_

_His anger melted away when he saw Joy sitting there, gapping at his back. Her eyes were round and sad. "War...Wardie. What bit you?"_

_Faced with his baby sister's concern, he broke down. Only this time it wasn't Harold's powerful arms tightly holding him, but tiny fingers petting his hair and wiping the tears from his face. "Dad..."_

_"You want me to get Daddy?"_

_"No." He was adamant about that, and despite Joy's attempts to calm him, his body wracked with more shivers. "Dad, he-...he....hit me."_

_"No!" Joy immediately shouted. Her eyes filled with water and large tears spilled down her cheeks. "You're lying. It's not true. Daddy...Daddy is perfect." Her tiny little hands were in her lap fidgeting nervously. "Take it back."_

_That was when he felt like he had lost a meaningful relationship with his sister. Where he knew they would never be as close as he would have liked. "You're right, Joy. I...take it back." He swallowed dryly, hating how difficult that had been. After she asked what really happened, Ward tried to think of a reasonable excuse that Joy would understand. "You remember that monster under your bed that you were afraid of last week? It decided to hide under my bed."_

_Her eyes flung wide, she gasped and then brought her knees up to her chest. "No, no. Don't worry. It's gone now. It's not hiding anywhere else in the house."_

_Frantically, Joy gazed around the room, before she decided it was secure and believed Ward's story. "If...the monster attacked you. Why did you lie about Daddy?"_

_Joy was Harold's little angel, and in turn he was her hero. He could do no wrong and it wasn't fair or right for him to deprave her of the father she needed and wanted. "He's an asshole, and I wanted to hurt him."_

_The tears returned to Joy's eyes as well as an emotion Ward was beginning to become familiar with; resentment. He had done that to her, hurt her, and he closed his eyes unable to see the contempt in her face._

_"I hate you." Joy cried as she got off his bed and ran from his room. "Daddy! Mommy! Ward's being mean."_

_Grabbing hold of his pillow, he hugged it to his body, but it didn't take away the loneliness. Ward vowed to protect Joy, though, from that man. She was sweet, young and innocent and if anyone needed guarding it was her. Anything Harold wanted to do to Joy, Ward wouldn't let him. Harold could do it to him, for all he cared; he would endure it. And he didn't want Joy ever finding out the truth. If she did believe him, it would only hurt and damage her in the long run. Ward didn't want Joy growing up scarred. If she had to hate him for her to have a good childhood and a normal life, then he could sacrifice for that, too. The thought of protecting Joy at all costs made the piercing in his back hurt a little less._

* * *

 

Walking stiffly onto his floor of his company, his back screamed at him every step of the way, and the entire time he had gotten ready for work. He had already called and scheduled an appointment to get a stronger prescription. Several time he had called Joy to apologize for missing all her calls and for being late, but she hadn't responded to any of his calls. Ward, thinking it had been serious, got to work as soon as he had been able to. There was no sign of Joy when he first arrived, but that didn't mean anything. He wasn't going to melt into panic, yet.

"Mr. Meachum." Megan greeted. "You're in late. Are...Are you alright?" She gave him a concerned look, but he had never seen her look at him like he was anything more then her next paycheck. So he ignored her question and disregarded her interest.

"Have you seen Joy around?"

"Uh...yes sir. She's currently unavailable at the moment."

"Is she alright?"

Megan couldn't get over the haunted look in her boss' eyes and tried to distract herself from it. "I didn't ask, but she seemed to be fine."

That was one thing going for ward, but the constant staring was starting to frustrate him. "Can you let me know the minute she's free? I need to see her and talk with her."

"Of course, Mr. Meachum."

"Thank you." Ward sauntered over to his office and once inside, he shut the blinds, locked the door and let out a long held breath. Never before had it been a chore to go into work, but he felt more out of place than he ever had in the past. He often fantasized about leaving, walking away from Rand. He wanted that more than anything else, but he knew how ensnared he was.

Ward paced about in his office, unaware of how long he waited before he got a beep on his office phone. "Ward Meachum."

"Joy is free now. Should I let her know you need to speak with her?"

"Yes, right away if possible."

After he hung up, he resumed his pacing until he heard a sharp rap on the door. He was quick to open the door for his sister, who flew passed him, and slammed the door once she was inside.

"Joy?" His elated voice had quickly turned to one of questions.

"Don't you Joy me. What do you want?"

"Did you get any of my calls?"

"Unbelievable." Joy tucked her curls behind her ear. "I was ignoring them. That's what you do when you're angry with someone."

A flash of Joy's face, angry and upset in his apartment, came to him. Ward's own face fell when he caught a glimpse of what, a _memory?_   He just couldn't remember anything beyond the hurt and betrayal in light blue eyes.

"So what did you want Ward?"

"I uh." He gazed at her with wide eyes.

"That's a hell of an apology. Do you know what you put me through last night?"

Triggered by her thoughtless words, Ward knocked over papers from his desk. "Do you know what I went through last night?" He choked as he backed away from her.

She raised her hands up defensively, but took no further steps towards him. "You told me you got drunk. What happened last night Ward? What won't you tell me?"

 

 ** _White knuckled fists around a couch cushion and cell phone_** popped in front of Ward's eyes.

 

 _ **The sound of Joy's pleading voice over the phone, his back being barraged by powerful fists, and blood overpowering his taste buds. The silent internal screaming.**_ But a drowsiness began to set in and Ward lost the image. It was enough to give him an idea of what he went through. Had Harold drugged him? It would explain the memory loss.

 

"Look at me Ward!"

 

**_"You'll watch." Harold's voice was commanding and his cock was full and heavy in his hand._ **

 

Ward turned swiftly away from Joy, barely keeping his late breakfast down. "No." His back stiffened and he rested his forehead on the glass of his window. "Nothing. Nothing happened. Nothing you need to worry about. And...I'm sorry you got dragged into all of this. That...that shouldn't have happened."

"Ward-" A hiss of pain escaped his lips when she made a grab at his back. Instead of asking what was wrong, because she knew he'd deflect and give her some weak lie, she grabbed at his shirt and started pulling it out of his pants before he had a chance to react. She lifted it up, just enough to see what looked like a bruise, a huge one, developing, before he skittered away from her.

"What the hell Joy?" He was already tucking his shirt back into his dress pants.

"I saw it Ward...please, don't lie to me."

"I...I was hit, okay."

"Hit?" Her hand was still over her mouth, upset over how bad her brother's back had looked and how her brothers voice had cracked when he spoke about being hit. "Do you mean, someone attacked you?"

He had already said it, in a moment of weakness. He couldn't take it back now, but he couldn't tell her the truth either. "I got mugged."

She gasped, she knew it was bad once she saw the state of his back, but it was still a shock to hear. "Then we should contact the police."

"No. I can't. You don't understand Joy. I..." He couldn't think of anything good. "I was in a bad part of town...probably asking for it. Doesn't matter, he was wearing a mask, I couldn't see what he looked like."

"That...Even if you were walking in a bad part of town Ward. That is no reason for anyone to assault you." She stepped forward and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Jesus Ward. No one deserves to be assaulted and stolen from, whether they have money or not. Did you fight back?"

That's when the tears began to form in his eyes. They were talking about two separate things, Ward knew, but he couldn't disassociate himself compeletly away from Harold. "No."

"Shhh. It's okay. That's good. It's good you didn't fight back Ward."

"Is it?" He asked, the sob threatening to come out. He should fight back with Harold, it was tearing him apart when he surrendered to him, but his body couldn't handle the abuse on the ocassions he did fight him.

"Yes. He could have killed you Ward. I-" Her arms were around his neck and in his hair before he had a chance to blink. She hugged him so tightly, without touching his sore back and he returned the hug, clutching at her like she was his only lifeline. Which wasn't too far from the truth. "I don't know what I'd do, if I lost you Ward. I should have called the police last night when you didn't come home. Maybe we could have gotten the bastard that did this to you. I'm so sorry."

 ** _Not bloody likely._** The police couldn't arrest a dead man, and Joy would be killed long before the police could get at Harold. That was assuming they could. Harold's new friends influence probably reached to the police as well. Ward held on to Joy fearing she'd pull away from him too soon; she didn't. She seemed to suspect how badly he needed her touch, and he was beginning to think she needed the assurance just as much. "Why...Why didn't you just tell me all this right away Ward? Why'd you lie? Why'd you tell me you were drunk and make me think you were some huge asshole?"

"Because I am."

"Shut up." Joy spoke with a small smile beginning to crack at the corner of her lips.

"I'm sorry, Joy. I...I thought being an asshole would be better than a coward. And I didn't want the public getting wind of me getting mugged. It's...embarrassing and-"

"I understand. I won't tell anyone Ward, I promise. But I want you to make an appointment and get your back looked at. Please."

"I've already scheduled one Joy." Ward cracked a self deprecating smile. "Would you think less of me, if I asked you to come with me?"

"I thought I'd have to ask, honestly." They finally pulled away from their hug, just enough for Joy to kiss his cheek. "You're all I've got Ward."


	5. Invidia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more on the mellow side. Mainly just Ward angst and language to be worried about. The Ward angst is small, as I gave him a break this chapter. (Enjoy it, as chapter 6 is going to be rough for poor Ward) 
> 
> There's some Harold/Kyle in here, because...well I just couldn't help myself. And I'm not the best at wording corporate intrigue/business venture's, so that part sucks and I totally acknowledge that.

There was an incessant knocking on his door and he rolled in the opposite direction of his bedroom door. "Five more minutes." Ward mumbled as he pulled the pillow over his head.

It was his second night and morning since getting "mugged" and the second night Joy had crashed in his guestroom. He thought it was sweet that Joy wanted to help him and kept a protective watch over him, but it was suppose to be the other way around. He'd spent his life guarding her, so it just felt strange that their roles got flipped. Joy kept a vigil over him at night and motherhenned him during the day. He put up a fuss, and argued that he was an adult and could do it himself, but the past two days had been some of the best he had in a long time. There had only been one awkward moment, when she caught him after he had come out of the shower. He'd had a towel around his waist, so it wasn't a naked awkward moment. Joy had caught sight of older injuries and bruises that couldn't be explained by a mugging. Joy had asked why he had so many old injuries and inqueried where they all came from. He had started shivering, put his clothes on so fast, and gave his classic clumsy excuse. It was now an obvious lie, but he had made it clear he didn't and wouldn't talk about it. Joy had dropped it and never approached the subject again.

Joy opened the door, exasperated. "You revert into such a child in the morning."

She stood there, Ward's head hidden beneath the pillow, while his sheets were pooled around his waist. He had gone to bed shirtless and her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the deep purples, the different shades of black, and the yellow swirls interspersed in a tangled web stretching across his entire back. She'd seen an injury on his chest and wondered how many injuries were all along his legs. However, she wasn't going to go snooping and Ward was sensitive on the subject. He was tight-lipped about it and she knew her brother wasn't going to talk about it; probably never would. She drew closer to Ward, trying to get a better look at her brother's body of bruises.

Joy couldn't help but think he was involved in some sort of fight club. That it was related to that other problem that they pretended didn't exist. It wouldn't make sense for Ward to fight for money, considering how much they both made and how much they both were worth. But if he was fighting to justify his addiction, or to score better and more illegal drugs than it could cause problems for Rand if it ever got leaked. Not to mention, that it would men Ward's problem was starting to spiral out of control. It would also explain why Ward was in a bad part of town and how he got mugged. Because Joy believed that he had gotten mugged. She saw the suffering on his face, that hopelessness. Someone had definitely assaulted him, but the older injuries? Joy would bet they were from that fight club or whatever it was that Ward was keeping secret from her.

She could keep him safe from his attacker, and give herself some peace of mind, by staying with him for the time being. But Ward's secret? If she approached him at all about it, it would have to be done delicately. She couldn't accuse him without some sort of evidence. Joy had hired a Private Investigator to dig up dirt on the board members of Rand, to cover her basis. Maybe she'd have to hire her again to spy on Ward. She chastised herself. How could she even consider it? This was her own brother. He needed her and her help not for her to go behind his back to have someone spy on him. She tapped the back of his head, unsure where else was safe to touch. "Ward, wake up. I'm not letting you sleep late today. We have that interview this morning."

Ward groaned in agitation, but lifted his head from under his pillow. "I'm awake alright? Slave driver."

Grabbing the pillow, she whacked him in the head with it. "You're always so cranky in the morning. That's never changed." He shrugged before grabbing that same pillow and throwing it into Joy's face, dead on. "Ohhh, you are such a child!"

"You started it." Ward cracked a smile and Joy soon copied it. "You can hop in the shower first and I'll make coffee in the meantime."

The pillow was launched again, but Ward deflected it. "I've already showered, you loafer. And coffee is already made. I'm surprised the smell of the coffee didn't lure you out of bed."

He shrugged,"I've been sleeping better since you appointed yourself as my personal guard."

Joy sombered at that. "I heard you last night."

Suddenly, Ward felt exposed and pulled the sheets up over his chest. "What do you mean?" He had nightmares often, he just hoped he hadn't said anything in his night terror that would change everything.

"You were screaming. You scared the hell out of me."

"What was it about? I mean...did I say anything?"

Joy's eyes landed on the ceiling as she thought about what she had heard. She had been half asleep herself when his screaming had awoken her. "Mostly a lot of 'No's'. You kept pleading as well. I think that scared me more than the screaming."

Ward sighed. He hadn't given anything related to their father away, but it was probably time to send Joy home and convince her that he was alright or was going to be alright home alone. If he started screaming out for Harold to stop; he could only imagine the inquisition he'd get from Joy in the morning. He gradually got out of bed, grabbing a change of clothes, and a towel for his shower. He padded around in his knit pants and acted normally in spite of Joy's scrutiny. "It was just a nightmare Joy."

She nodded her head, but still needed to know. "That man? The one that mugged you." He waited for her to continue, but she didn't. He didn't want to talk to Joy about Harold as some fictional mugger. Everything out of his mouth ended up being lies. It hurt him every time he lied to her.

"What about him Joy?"

"He attacked you..." Joy gazed at everything and anything, but at Ward's face. "Did he...He didn't touch you, did he?"

"Touch me?" Ward was puzzled for about two seconds. "No. God, of course not. I wasn't in that part of town." Another lie. After years of lying to her, he supposed one more would go by unnoticed.

"Oh thank god." Joy smiled broadly.

"I'm not a China doll. I'm not going to break. However, I am going to take that quick shower. I really want that coffee." Joy giggled softly as she watched him leave the room carrying all his clothes and his towel in to the hallway.

It wasn't until he started the water, when his phone rang. Being one of the head CEO's of Rand had gotten him in the habit of always being within reach of his phone, barring outside circumstances. He looked through the pockets of his clothes neatly laid across a countertop in the bathroom. He ignored his naked body in the mirror, feeling nothing when he looked at himself. Once upon a time, he use to loathe his body, all that Harold had turned him into. Now he felt this hollow detachment when he caught glimpses of himself in any reflective surface. Finding his phone, he glared at the caller ID, before he answered.

"What do you want Frank?"

"To congradulate you." There was a pause on his dad's end and Ward couldn't even guess at what the man was doing. "You're learning so well from me. You're turning into quite the manipulative little liar."

"Screw you. I can't tell her anything and you know it. You don't want anything to happen to her anymore than I do."

Instead of responding to him, Harold talked as though Ward hadn't interrupted him. "The mugger was a nice touch. Got her to forgive you on the spot and now she's sleeping in your guestroom every night." Ward gritted his teeth, but reamined silent. Whenever Harold brought Joy into the picture, it threw him off. He didn't want to lose it, and waited to let Harold tell him what his angle was. "Creeping into your bedroom at night. Touching you while your sleeping."

Ward's breathing intensified, but he refused to be baited that time. Too often he fell for Harold's traps and regretted every second of it. It also left him hating himself for trusting him. Joy was trustworthy and he didn't buy for one moment that she would take advantage of him that way. She shared a lot in common with Harold, but not that.

"You're sick! You're so disgusting and petty. Well, you know what I think? I think you want Joy all to yourself. You can't be with her and if you could she'd know you for the monster you are; and you wouldn't want her to disown you. Now would you?"

Harold didn't say anything, for once, but he didn't hang up on Ward either.

"Do you think of her when you've got me face down?" This was going to earn him a worse beating or a bad punishment of some kind. Yet the fire was running through him and Ward couldn't seem to stop. He really didn't want to know if Harold was getting off to thoughts of his sister. The next time Harold ever took him would be the one time that would break him, if that were the case.

"No." Harold's voice was clipped, but the taunting crept back into his tone. "But I use to think about you, when your mother and I were intimate, back before she died."

Resisting the urge to toss his phone through the mirror, he kept a stiff upper lip. Either Harold was still trying to get under his skin, or he was telling the truth. It was just crazy enough to be true. Ward just didn't want to believe it. His relationship with his father was too disturbing and complicated as it was when he was under the impression that Harold loathed him and used him as a poor substitute for Sarah and Joy.

"Yeah? Well jerk off to this: Mom's dead, Joy is forever off limits to you, and you will never use me as a subsitute for your 'girls' again. The name on the company? It isn't yours. All that money in the account that pays for your penthouse and all your amenities is under my name. You want to beat me down and tell me how you're better than me? At the end of the day, I'm the face everyone see's. Mine and Joy's. All you have is the same dark walls. Oh and Kyle." He laughed dryly, before adding. "Enjoy the interview, Frank."

He ended the call abruptly, then stepped into the shower to wash himself clean. After that conversation, he definitely needed to scrub himself of Harold and the filth he felt every time he saw or talked to that man. He wasn't in the shower as long as he thought he'd be and Joy was a life-saver. She already had a mug of hot coffee poured for him as well as breakfast on the table.

"You okay?"

Ward had already sat down and shoved toast into his mouth when Joy spoke up. His eyebrows shot up and he he nodded his head, a smile curving around the toast sticking out of his mouth. "It all looks so good Joy."

She hid a smile behind her mug of coffee and took a long swig of it. "You live off of coffee. When's the last time you actually had a meal that you didn't pay for."

"A couple mornings ago."

She sighed,"You didn't cook that breakfast."

"No." He drawled out, his toast half finished already. "But I didn't pay for it. You did."

She tore a piece of her waffle off and threw it at his face. "Smartass." He plucked the waffle off his plate with his fork, before cramming it into his mouth. "Hey."

"If you didn't want me to have it, you shouldn't have given it to me."

"You're such a pain in the ass." She got down to her own breakfast, some of it half eaten, probably waiting for him to get out of the shower and dressed. They continued to eat in companionable silence, until Joy broke it. "Ward, about...that date?"

Ward's mood changed and he gave her a piercing stare. "I can cancel it, Ward. I mean...after you were attacked the other night. If you're uncomfortable with the blind date I set up."

He swallowed down his food and stabbed more of it with his fork. "When did you schedule it for?"

"Tonight. I meant to tell you sooner, but with everything that had happened since we made that deal...I forgot all about it. I'll just cancel it, you've been through enough lately."

"I'll go. Just tell me where to pic her up or where I'm meeting her."

"Who says it's a her?" Joy giggled, lighting the mood.

Ward felt a coldness seep into his body and he hoped she was joking. He didn't have a problem with guys, he'd tried it once, but with his history with Harold, he couldn't go through with it, without thinking about Harold. Ward just wasn't sure he could get through a date with a guy, maybe if there were no sex involved. He took a breath to relax himself. It was just a date. A date which usually meant dinner and conversation, not an invitation into someone's bed. He could do that, right? Just polite conversation and dinner. Hell, he didn't think he could stomach the possibility of sex with a female either. Perhaps Joy had been right to call it off, but he was so determined to show his sister he was doing much better, that he had stubbornly agreed to go to her blind date.

"Joy."

She was still grinning as she finished her plate. "Her name is Solene. I managed to book you a reservation at Mercer's Kitchen."

"You've outdone yourself on this one." Ward gazed at her skeptically. "You must really like her."

"I think you two will hit it off. I'm really excited about her." Joy picked up her dishes and headed into the kitchen to put them in the sink. "Are there any points we need to go over or address in our interview?"

"Might as well go over the basics before we head out." Neither needed to really. They'd done enough interviews and been part of the public eye long enough to know how to work the media and not fall into any of their pits that would damage them or the company, but it was always better to play it safe. "Oh Joy?"

She peeked her head around the corner,"What's up?"

"I appreciate you staying here the last two nights. It's been-"

"You want me out of your hair, is that it?" Her lips drew into a thin line. "Ward, I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"I'll be fine. The guy doesn't know where I live, and I have you on speed dial."

Joy caved,"You're right. You don't need me here babying you. Plus you and I both need our space, we see too much of each other as it is."

He felt a little guilty, but saw the big picture and knew it would be better for Joy if she got out of his apartment. Plus a little part of him knew it would hurt Harold that he couldn't spy on Joy in his apartment every day. Harold would have to go back to his more round about ways to spy on Joy.

* * *

 

Circling the hanging punching bag, Harold narrowed his eyes as he observed his opponent. His hands were bandaged up and he punched some more at the weighted bag. The impact on his knuckles gave him satisfaction and it helped him to relieve some of the stress he had been under. He knew he was being watched. Kyle's small beady brown eyes kept their stare on him for as long as he dared to, for as long as he believed Harold didn't notice. Flexing his muscles, he started in on the bag again. He could almost picture Kyle's adam's apple bopping as he swallowed uneasily while he watched his boss fight. He liked that Kyle's brown eyes would follow him when he wasn't looking. He didn't dare look at him when Harold was aware; he was a good puppy that way. Very well trained. When he looked at Kyle, into his eyes, sometimes, he could see the same terror filled brown eyes that he so often saw in Ward. But he never saw that determination, that fire or the strength that Ward had hidden away. If only he could get Ward trained as well as Kyle. He frowned at that thought, wondering if that's what he really wanted. He thought it was, but how long would it be before he got bored of a broken shell where Ward use to be?

"Kyle."

Kyle was so startled that he nearly fell out of his chair and knocked his laptop over. "Yes, sir?"

"Turn the TV on. I want to see my children. Their interview should be airing soon."

Kyle hurried over to grab the remote and tuned it to the channel Harold wished for. "Perfect timing, as always sir." He ducked his head, and went back to his desk, somehow feeling like he had gotten caught out.

After only a few minutes of commercials and nonsense, Ward and Joy were suddenly on the screen. Harold did a sideline glare in Kyle's direction and once he saw that Kyle's head was in his laptop and averting him, he reached out and touched the screen over Joy's face. It wasn't the same as her being with him, but he could delude himself into thinking it was good enough. His touch over Ward's face was more possessive and not at all gentle and sweet.

Hands were shook in a friendly greeting, before they got right down to business. "We're here with Ward and Joy Meachum, the CEO's of Rand. Their newest Riparian Accord has hit the airwaves and has become big news in the papers lately. Many are praising this newest accord that you've struck, however their are still skeptics out there." The interviewer was addressing the audience as well as Ward and Joy. "The addendum is a bit vague, so could you explain the Riparian Accord to our viewers?"

Harold saw the slight eye roll of from Ward, though he suspected all eyes had been drawn to Joy, as the camera zoomed in on her. He cracked a smile, feeling the need to eye roll as well. Had they hired an amateur to interview them this time?

"The Riparian Accord is not a quick, and easy fix for our city and our cities problems. But Ward and I hope that it will be the start. It is meant as a large importing and exporting buisness, developed and managed by several companies. We, Rand, were just the ones that helped facilitate the negotiations between all the companies. It has already stirred up thousands of jobs openings and many more will open up over the next few weeks. It has opened up trade between several countries, including some that we've had previous tensions with."

"It's certainly a controversial decision, one I'm sure you two are getting a lot of criticism for."

Joy gazed at Ward,"Our company has always made controversial decisions. Ward, my brother, always brings these controversial ideas to the table. For years, and has done a lot of good."

Throw me under the bus, why don't you Joy? Ward thought to himself amused, before the camera was on him. And it was true, they were either pissing off one side or the other, but since he took over, Rand had done a fairly good job of remaining somewhere in the middle, politically, while still maintaining a successful business. There were compromises, there were always going to be compromises; that was part of life, but all in all they had done well for themselves.

Harold, meanwhile, felt his pride in his children, slowly turn into something darker. Ward? Ward didn't know shit! He didn't make or come up with any of those decisions. That had all been him. Still sour over his son yelling at him over the phone that morning, Harold did feel petty, and jealous. He would never admit it, because that would be admitting to not having anything for himself. Ward wasn't right. It was his. And it would be the Meachum Corporation...or Harold Enterprises one day. Because it was all rightfully his. Wendell had been his pawn. Why wasn't it in his name?!

"Well like my sister stated, this isn't going to quick fix our city. We can only do so much, but we are developing more projects in the meantime and we will of course keep the public appraised of our future goals. Joy and I want to take Rand where Wendell had always intended it to go. And we wanted to further honor the memory of Rand by dedicating a bust of Wendell to be commsissioned and displayed right outside Rand Enterprises."

Logically, Harold was aware that Ward couldn't mention him presently, but that last line was an intentional blow to him. And it had worked. "Turn it off." He barked loudly and Kyle wasn't one to putter around, not when it really mattered. The television was turned off, before Ward, Joy or the interviewer had said anymore.

Kyle's eyes were wide as his eyes were stuck on Harold's face. It was dangerous to maintain eye contact, but the building rage was almost too entrancing to look away from. The brown eyes weren't exactly the same, but the longer he looked at his smaller eyes, the more lost he got in them. They contorted just enough to appear the same as Ward's. Once he saw Ward in them, he stalked over to Kyle, and the smaller man's frame shook. In anticipation or in complete fright, Harold didn't know or care.

"That little piece of shit." Harold growled, his face a hair's breath away from Kyle's, and the young man didn't dare move. Standing there and preparing for whatever Harold was about to unleash was foolish, but running away could have exacerbated Harold's madness just as well. Was he suppose to respond? Would that bring his attention and wrath down on him, instead of on Ward, where it belonged?

He just about pissed himself, when Harold backed him up into the nearest wall. Caught between the wall and Harold's tall stature, was not a good place to be. Kyle had always been loyal to Harold and still was, but that was mainly because the man scared him to death, and he was revisiting all the reasons why in his head.

"All I do for that troublesome boy, and this is the thanks I get? He steals everything I have and kicks me when I'm down?" He knew better then to cross him. If Ward had forgotten, then Harold would reteach him that lesson the next time he saw him. He would regret it, Harold was hellbent on making that son of a bitch pay. He was still staring into Kyle's eyes, but all he saw was the frightened wild eyes of Ward. He could make Ward pay, right now.

With quick movements, he grabbed Kyle by the neck, and his other hand was on Kyle's face, his fingernails digging into Kyle's scalp just behind his right ear. A surprised gasp and wince came from Kyle, but it wasn't enough to pull Harold out of it. It was close to a mimicry of Ward's reactions to keep up the illusion that Harold was enacting his revenge on the one he wanted to stomp down. He was pulling himself off the ground, and he spent too long creating Ward to be 'him' that he couldn't afford Ward picking himself back up on his feet. He'd have to increase his lessons and teach him what happens to those who don't obey Harold.

The pressure on Kyle increased, though it wasn't enough to cut off his air, yet. Though screaming for help would prove fruitless. No one else was ever in that building, and they were on the top floor. His screams would get swallowed up by the woodwork and be soundless outside the Penthouse walls. He was still too petrified to move, and too enthralled in Harold's eyes to see anything else before him. Harold came closer, his lips touching Kyle's cheek. His face flushed, and he squirmed against Harold's hands then. The second he did, the meaty paw around his neck clamped down and he tried inhaling and couldn't. "Scream for me Ward."

The words and the meaning behind the words were not lost on Kyle. Whatever his issue's with Ward, Kyle wanted no part ofit. He gasped for air as his small hands clutched at Harold's wrist. Clawing and pushing as best as he could. Doing anything to relieve the pressure, as he punched at the man's arm and kicked at any part of Harold's legs that he could reach. The grip was the first thing that had cleared Harold's head, it was unlike Ward's. Ward had bigger and warmer hands and his grip was more frantic and desperate. The punching to his arms didn't have that crazed force to it, either. Harold had barely felt the attacks to his arms. Ward's eyes, his face, and his body all melted away and Kyle's skinny frame replaced it all. His longer face, and the wavy light brown hair was dipping onto his forehead.

"Sir?" Kyle's loyal and scratchy voice sounded clearer to his ears.

His grip around Kyle's neck loosened and he patted his cheek softly. So he was still devoted to him; good. "I'm sorry, Kyle." His hand was still touching the young man's cheek. "That boy of mine just gets me so riled up. He needs to be taught a lesson."

He still saw terror in Kyle's eyes, and not willing to lose his leash on Kyle like he was beginning to with Ward, he rubbed a thumb over Kyle's bottom lip. Kyle was easy to please, it was Ward that gave him all the trouble. When Kyle's lids started to close and he parted his lips; Harold knew he had read the kids signs the right way. He moaned in appreciation when Kyle's tongue came out and licked tentatively at Harold's thumb. Harold's eyes drifted close and his traitorous mind imagined Ward's tongue eagerly sucking his thumb into his mouth. It was as wrong now as it was back when he was younger. Only, he didn't seem to care as much about how wrong it was anymore. Since Sarah's death, he felt more and more freedom to entertain his dark side. All the evil things he had done to Ward, wasn't even his worst sins. Oh they were high on the list, but he'd done so much more, and it was invigorating. He opened his eyes, seeing Kyle's flushed face, with his pupils blown wide open.

Harold pictured Ward looking the same way and felt his pants tighten. As mad and jealous as he was of Ward, he still lusted after him. He still wanted Ward in every way. He wanted power and complete control over him, but he also enjoyed it. First things were first, he needed to remind Ward of where his place truly lied. Grinning down at Kyle, he withdrew his thumb from his assistant's mouth. "Mmm...Kyle. I need you to do something for me."

* * *

 

Ward loosened the knot of his tie for the fifth time that night, before he fixed it. He looked so stupid and he felt jittery. He couldn't stop fidgeting with his damn tie, and he couldn't ignore the knots in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't butterflies and the nervous anticipation that accompanied first dates. No, this was just a horrendous idea and he couldn't shake the notion that he was in for a rough night. Something would go wrong as it inevitably did for him, because he was starting to have a semblance of a life for himself. He wasn't happy; but he wasn't miserable either.

He didn't want his doubts ruining what could turn into a good evening, but he didn't see how he could turn it off. There was no turning back now, as he passed through the archway and into the restaurant. It was a darker setting, with high vaulted ceilings. He use to eat at Mercer's all the time. However, when he started seeing a facsimile between the restaurant and Harold's Penthouse, he had lost his appetite whenever he stepped foot in Mercer's. So he naturally stopped going and chose brighter lit places, or establishments that had open spaces.

Already it was off to a bad start and he hadn't even been escorted to his reserved seating yet, or had met Solene. He almost turned right out and left when he swore he saw Harold sitting off in a corner. If he risked himself in public, then he put Joy's life in danger, as well as the reputation of Rand. If nothing else, Ward knew Harold cared about the company, or more importantly the money tied into the company.

Approaching the Maître d', Ward saw that the man had recognized him. "Ward Meachum, reservation for two."

"Mr. Meachum. It's been some time since we've seen you here. We're glad to have you back. Your lady friend is already at your table."

He was assigned a waitress, who led Ward to his table. He could see his date as he approached and he did admit to himself that she was stunning. Ward wouldn't have thought she was his type, if he'd seen her on the street, he'd have appreciated her outward beauty, but would have kept on walking. However, this was Joy's setup, and he was curious of the type of woman Joy thought he was interested in. It was difficult to say how tall she was, as she was sitting down, but she had long red curls that went down past her chest and her elegant green dress shined in the dim lighting of the restaurant. It was a soft glow, that even made her ginger hair seem darker and more beautiful.

"So, how much did she pay you to show up?" Ward thought he'd go right at it, to get the awkward meet and greet out of the way and wanted to break the ice as well. "I'm Ward Meachum, a pleasure."

She had seemed almost nervous when he first got to the table, but seemed to relax when he spoke. A smile spread across her face as she wagged the menu up at him. "Not as much as this dinner is going to cost you." Then after a beat she gave Ward her hand and was delighted when he kissed the back of it. "Solene Beaumont and likewise."

Solene set her menu down and took the time to actually check Ward out. Ward did a good job of acting normally, he'd gotten enough looks both good and bad, but he still felt like she was searing through his clothes and looking at the injuries hidden underneath. "Should have asked Joy for more money."

Ward put a hand on his chest in mock-hurt. "Ow. Just cut me down immediately." He sat down at the table and picked up the menu.

"You boys do tend to have high opinions of yourselves."

"Yeah and I bet Joy had nothing to do with telling you to insult my appearance."

Solene's bright smile never faltered and the pair fell into easy banter, before they ordered their meals, and while they were waiting for food. It only died down when they recieved their dinner and they became more focused on eating rather than talking. The night was turning into a better one than Ward had first predicted and he was thankful that he had been wrong.

She was quick witted and always had a snappy comeback. Ward didn't think she was right for him, but he was having more fun than he had in weeks. Perhaps he'd see her again, and perhaps this thing could turn into a friendship. Once they finished up, Solene licked the remaining remnants of taste from her lips before eying Ward. "Thank you, for the dinner."

Ward wiped his mouth on his napkin. "Yeah, I had a good time. Do you want me to give you a ride home?"

She stood up, and he followed after her. "While I would love that, I drove here myself and I need my car in the morning."

After paying for the meal and leaving the staff a lofty tip, Ward offered her his arm. "Then at least let me walk you to your car."

She slid her arm through his and pressed closely against his side,"Now that you can do."

The evening breeze hit them the moment they left the Kitchen and he felt Solene lean further into his side. Either she was cold or she was using it as an excuse to get closer to him. That awkwardness that he expected to feel all evening; that same awkwardness that never came, was starting to seep into him now. He let her lead him in the direction that she had parked, and was a bit impressed that she parked herself instead of taking advantage of the valet service.

"You're nervous now?" Solene asked astonishedly.

Ward shook his head,"Just tired."

"I bet." She nudged his side,"You had a busy day. I caught that live interview you guys had this morning."

"It was an appalling interview."

There was a soft chuckle. "I think you and Joy intimidated the poor guy. You two do cast a pretty daunting shadow."

He hadn't thought about that. He was so wrapped up in keeping his living hell of a life from falling apart, he often forgot about how people saw him. "You're handling it well."

She was rubbing his arm, and the soft stroking finally grabbed his attention. Her dark hazel eyes sparkled under the city lights. "I'm good under pressure."

There was no time to react, before she had grabbed the nape of his neck to bring his face down to her level. Her lips were on his and he hesitated to do anything. He hadn't kissed another living being since Tammy and his body was reacting before he made up his mind.

Tammy.

He was on his knee's, anger pulsing through him as he faught with Harold. "You killed her!"

Ward shivered at the flash, unsure if it was a memory or not. There was so much about that night that he still couldn't remember. Regardless, he wanted to be there with Solene and wrapped his arms around her body while his lips moved against hers. He was giving in to his lust and into his physical needs. Solene deserved more than what was rapidly changing into a one night stand, but he wasn't much use for anything anymore. So when her slender arms wound around his waist, he pulled her flush against his body, right where she wanted to be. Her tongue licked at his bottom lip and an embarrassing sigh passed his lips. He still parted them and granted her access.

He met her tongue with his and they kissed each other hungrily. His enjoyment came to a halt when yet another memory resurfaced. Different lips on his, and a different tongue was sliding against his. Many of the details were fuzzy, but he recalled Harold's wet tongue slithering around his mouth. He had plunged his tongue between his lips, like he owned him. The sound of his own panting and moans brought him out of his head and he pushed Solene away. Stamping his panic down, he saw her disappointment and tried for his most convincing smile. "We're going a little too fast, don't you think?"

She took a step back when he explained he needed to take things slow. Her fingers played with his tie, before she rubbed gently at his chest,"Tease. Alright, we can take things slow."

As soon as they made it back to her car, they said their goodnight's and Ward promised to call her. He didn't think he would, not after their first kiss made him remember that violation. He'd been through so much because of that man, but that kiss? Harold took a personal gesture, one of the few things left that he could still savor and destroyed it. How much more was he intended to take?

The echo of his moaning hit him as he was walking back to his car and he reached out for a solid object to help steady him. There was nothing but air and he collapsed to the ground. He wouldn't have enjoyed it, no matter how long it'd been since he had sex. Harold must have slipped him something. Faced with Harold's growing perversion, the rest of the world began to spin. It was dark and there weren't a whole lot of people around as it was. The world seemed to grow smaller and Ward stumbled back to his feet when he saw a black limousine pull up in front of him. The window was down revealing none other then Ward's worst nightmare. The world started to shake and turn again when Ward heard the order,"Get in."


	6. Ira

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major Ward angst, physical and emotional torture, and non-con to be aware of in this chapter.
> 
> Also unbeta'ed, with tons of typo's, I'm sure. (I will get to work on Chapter 7 ASAP, and I hope to have it uploaded soon)

He was everywhere and Ward just couldn't get away. He was woozy, but spun on his heel and attempted to run away. Unfortunately, his feet got caught up and tangled and he fell hard onto his side. A jealous rage was building behind those sullen eyes, maybe it was worse than rage. Ward had wanted to get under Harold's skin, and he wanted to hurt him. He succeeded in pissing his father off, but he was not prepared to face the consequences. There was murder written all over Harold's face and Ward felt like running was his only option; the only way he'd be safe. A few years ago, he wouldn't believe his father capable of murder. However, most of his nightmares were now of Harold killing him in gruesome ways. No one was around to witness this, which was typical behavior for his father, and Ward couldn't get up and run fast enough away. He was reeling over that awakened memory and had trouble getting his footing.

Meanwhile, Harold had already opened the backseat door and stepped out of the vehicle. A wire was held tightly between his fists and he got it around Ward's neck before he had any time to bolt. Ward's hair fell into his eyes and his hand flung to the wire to remove it from his neck. With the leverage Harold needed he pulled Ward backwards, the wire cutting into his skin and blocking his airway. Ward had sputtered and choked as his back hit Harold's chest. He kicked and drug his feet as Harold pulled him along by a fucking wire. While Ward struggled to breathe he had a frightening image of himself laying dead in Harold's penthouse with lifeless eyes and Harold gleefully laughing in the background. Some fight returned to him at that image in his mind, and he got a couple fingers between his neck and the wire. Relieving the pressure on his windpipe to suck in air. He coughed when he inhaled too much, and was too preoccupied to keep Harold from backing them up.

It proved easy to manuever his coughing son into the backseat of the limo, dumping him on the floor inside. He climbed in after him, shutting the door and throwing the wire at his son's face. Pressing a button on the side, Kyle's voice came over the speaker. "Sir?"

"I've got him, now drive. Leave us some privacy, if you would Kyle."

"Anything for you, sir." The speaker cut out and the window seperating the driver from the passengers was tinted and sealed up.

He spared one look at his son, who still coughed as he rubbed at his sore neck, Ward was curled up on his side and Harold enjoyed the fact that Ward had nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. He was laying at Harold's feet, and was completely at his father's mercy. Ward looked at the carpetted floor, but aside from a side seat, and the normal seats in back, there was nothing but open space. It dawned on him, how fucked he was. The doors were locked and even if he could get them opened, he wasn't going to jump out of a moving car. The wire was sitting on his cheek and Ward yanked it off and threw it into a corner.

"Dad, please-" Ward began but aside from pleading for his life, he didn't know what to say. And he felt silly for almost asking his dad not to kill him.

It didnt' exactly matter, Harold kicked his leg and mocked him. "Daddy, please." His voice was vile and Ward cringed by just the sound alone. He didn't risk looking up at his father until he uttered one word,"Strip."

He shouldn't have looked, in the dimly lit interior of the car, Harold looked demonic, with burning eyes and hatred radiating off of his body in waves. "Take off your shirt."

He had brought this on himself, hadn't he? He wanted to get Harold mad, to get back at the man and damn any repurcussions. He jerked when Harold swung at his back. With it already being sore, he shouted out when the impact landed. "Are you hard of hearing, son?"

"N-no." Ward muttered. Moving awkwardly, he got to his knees and started to take off his jacket, but was stopped by his father's booming voice. "Face me."

There was no guarantee Harold would actually go through with it and kill him, but he was just scared enough to believe it. He could do anything, if it meant he'd be spared. Stiffly, he moved around to face Harold, letting his mind shut down. He went through the movements, going automatically along with his father's demands. The jacket came off first, then he loosened his tie enough to slip it up and off his head. His hooded eyes caught Harold picking his tie and the wire up off the floor, before he unsnapped his vest, which had fallen to join his jacket on the floor. Harold had wished Ward would put more feeling into it, but he wasn't going to push Ward too hard, yet. He was going to take his time.

He watched Ward's progression carefully, as Ward undid each and every button on his shirt. Once his shirt was off, Harold twirled his index finger. "Turn around."

Complying, Ward moved on his knees again until he was facing the opposite direction. Both of his arms were grabbed and pulled behind his back. "No." He whispered when it became clear what Harold was going to do.

He didn't fight it, because it was pointless to. But he didn't want to be restrained; he didn't like being strapped down. _**Anything but that!**_

"Shut up!" He growled next to Ward's ear, and pulled Ward's arms back tighter. Using the forgotten wire, he tied it around his arms and wrists. Tight enough to keep him secured, and if he struggled; Harold would bet good money on the wire digging into his skin. He wrapped Ward's tie around his neck, loosely, to symbolize his hold on Ward and keep it there as a constant reminder for Ward not to get any bright ideas. "What the hell were you thinking?" His enraged emotions were keeping him focused on one thing. _Punish Ward_. Yet, he really didn't see Ward, his anger was clouding too much of his mind.

"I-"

"Shut up." Harold shouted again.

Ward felt helpless and that feeling was the only reason he tested his bindings and tried to break free. Being held down, was flooding his mind with too many memories of previous times Harold had strapped him down against his will. He wouldn't be able to breathe soon, he already felt the rising panic strangling him.

"You wanted to hurt me, to burn me. Didn't you?" Harold wasn't looking for an answer, and if he was, Ward wasn't going to give him one. He'd simply shut him down again. But he had found a good way to get even with his father, by using the only thing Harold did care about, and shoving it in his face that Wendell was the company; not him. "You want me to burn that badly Ward? I'll show you what it's like to get burned."

Spotting a faint red glow to the right of him, Ward realized Harold had turned the cigarette lighter on in the car. "Don't...DON'T!" Ward yelled, but it was fruitless. Helplessly, he had to watch as Harold grabbed the light and saw the glowing red end press into his side. The pain was different to what he normally felt from his abuse with Harold, and he screamed out in agony, his body bucking wildly against Harold to get away from the burning. No sooner was it taken away from his side, before Harold pressed it into his side again. It only let up, when Harold felt like giving him a break. The rest didn't last long, before Harold was jabbing him in the side again. His head fell backwards, hitting Harold's shoulder, and he squeezed his eyes shut as another shout tore out of his throat.

The pain wasn't any better. The burns hadn't numbed his side and instead left his body a quivering wreck. He was forced to rely on his father's strength to keep him upright. His knees were wobbly, and his upper body was shaking so bad, that leaning against his father was all that kept him up. By that point he was practically in Harold's lap, and while he felt the bulge in his father's pants; his mind was muddled with the sizzling pain radiating from his side. Squirming and bucking every damn time his father stuck him with the lighter, only increased the pressure on Harold's cock, and got him harder. Harold was also turned on by all the screams Ward was making.

Finally, his father placed the lighter back into the car, after he had made Ward's side completely red. It was blistered and sore and Harold couldn't stop staring at what he had done. Mesmerized bt the cracked and swelling skin, Harold touched it with his fingertips. The moment he did Ward turned his face and buried it in Harold's neck.

**_Stop, stop, Stop it please. Make it stop._ **

The probing fingers continued to jab at his burnt side and Ward had enough energy to fall forward and get two seconds reprieve from Harold's experimenting. He didn't get very far before the tie around his neck tightened and stopped his movements. His eyes widened, he gagged and his whole body jerked. He couldn't get free, and with his hands restricted behind him, there was no way to relieve the pressure. Wildly, he flexed against his restraints, even when the wire started digging into his arms. It rubbed against his skin, making it raw and tender. His mouth dropped open in a soundless scream, and the inside of the car grew dimmer. Black spots hampered his vision, but at the last minute the choker hold he was caught in slackened.

Harold released his hold and Ward fell onto his chest limply. He didn't cough or suck in lungfuls of air. Ward laid there quietly, breathing raggedly, as he resigned himself for more to come. It didn't even strike him as odd that he was giving in to Harold, that he would do anything Harold wanted him to, just to make the pain go away. Anything had to be better than laying face down, barely being able to breathe, waiting for the next torment to be unleashed. Every nerve in his body was on fire, just breathing in air, was inflaming his lungs and scratching the hell out of his throat.

Please. It took Ward a second to realize that while his mouth had moved, he hadn't said anything out loud. "Please, stop." It was just below a whisper, but Harold had heard him. He had to have. There was shift in position where Harold sat, and Ward flinched when he saw Harold's hand coming at his face. Instead of hitting him, Harold was too smart to hit his face, he always beat him and hurt him in places that always got covered in clothes, he brushed the hair out of his face.

The loving gesture was cruel in the wake of what had just happened and by what followed out of Harold's mouth. "Why should I?"

Without making eye contact, Ward spoke hoarsely. "I'll do anything you want. Just...stop. Please. Please. I'm sorry. Sorry." He was rambling, but he didn't care. He just couldn't take it anymore.

A wicked smile curled against Harold's lips, that did nothing to hide the fury and resentment still present in his blue eyes. "Like I haven't heard that line of bull before, Ward. And yet you always back out of it at the last moment and then pull shit on me, like you did in that interview. Why do you test my patience, Ward? Why do you always make me hurt you?" He pulled away from Ward, and leaned back in his seat, just observing the younger man. "You want me to stop?" He pressed the top of his shoe into Ward's burnt side, causing the man to groan out. "You'll do anything? Then prove it."

Somehow, albeit weakly, Ward was able to get back onto his knees, and face his father. He was about to back out, again, let himself get beaten to a bloody pulp and pray he survived, but the searing pain in his side resolved him to press on. He didn't care how this would affect him later on, he couldn't get hung up on that. He spotted Harold's hard on through his pants, but needed extra courage or needed to learn how to really shut himself off before he went for that, willingly. Leaning upward, he felt his stomach lurch before he squashed it down and touched his lips to Harold's.

There was no response, which Ward wasn't expecting, but it gave him the time he needed to get a grip on himself. He shook slightly, but pressed on, kissing Harold's lips, before he reluctantly licked at Harold's bottom lip. A single sigh fell from Harold and he grabbed the side of Ward's face, opened up and touched his tongue to Ward's. Loathing himself for not being a man and taking the beating, Ward hesitated when he felt Harold's grotesque tongue wriggled against his. Propelling himself forward, Ward tried to imagine it was someone else's tongue, to kiss him like he meant it. Nothing about the kiss was pleasurable though, so he went through the motions, until a hard smack to his left face broke the contact and knocked him onto his ass.

"Did you really think I would let up? That I would give you a free pass just because your willing to whore yourself out? You're pathetic Ward."

"I'm not...I wasn't..." Ward couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he could barely move. He didn't know what to do or say anymore. _What did his father want from him? What was the game? Why? **Just why!**_

Ward cried out,"What do you want from me? God...Harold just...do whatever the fuck you want to me or let me go." He was done playing.

Harold got onto the floor of the car, leaning over Ward. He smacked him a few times, not enough to leave any marks, but he was still releasing some of his anger. "I don't have time for a common street whore like yourself. Grow up and then come back to me when you've become a man." Ward gritted his teeth and shuddered when Harold pulled a knife out on him. The wire was cut instead and as soon as he was freed he kneaded at his raw arms. "I'm done with you." Harold jeered. He tapped the comm unit and told Kyle to pull over.

And made to feel like a slut, he was pushed out of the car, onto the side of the street. Harold was gracious enough to toss a shirt into his lap, as well as a wad of money. Then his limo pulled away and Ward felt like he'd been dumped out like yesterday's trash. He supposed what he couldn't wrap his head around the most, was that Harold was right. He had tried giving his body to appease him, because he was too weak to endure anything else. He shakily pulled on his shirt and walked away as the breeze carried the bills down the street. The tears stung his eyes, but he pushed them down, along with everything else he was feeling. Ward wasn't familiar with where he was or he was too damaged to recognize his location, but he began to wander.

* * *

 

_Swiftly, Ward walked down the long stretch of hallway, the high ceilings surrounded by white marbled stone. It was a large private school, and Ward picked at the uniform he wore, unaccustomed to it. In truth, it was just arriving through the large entrance and into the building that had him instantly uncomfortable. He gazed around, paranoid about running into any of the older boys that had been tormenting him in school. The welts on his back had started healing, but it was still tender and every time he moved the fabric of his clothing chafed his back. His brown eyes scanned the empty hallways, his head was ducked low, making himself a small target, and he quickened his pace. He wasn't late yet, but he preferred cutting it close, he didn't run into people too much when he did that. Luck wasn't on his side when he almost ran into a large body standing in the middle of the hallway._

_Trevor glowered down at him, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Lookie whose trying to play hookie. Didn't think you had it in you, Meachum."_

_Ward glanced to the side, when two of Trevor's friends emerged from a different hallway and joined Trevor in front of him. Chet stood on one side of Trevor, the two of them were best friends and inseparable. They were the same age, and seemed to share a lot in common, like making life miserable for the younger students. And then to Trevor's other side, stood Tony. He was a year younger, and a follower. He was nothing more then Trevor's loyal lap dog, and Ward inched away from all three boys._

_"Meachum, cut class? He'd never cross either of his parents."_

_"He's just a Momma's boy." Tony added in like the wannabe that he was._

_Chet snorted at that. "I hear he's too scared of his daddy. Pisses his pants every time he see's him."_

_"Shut up." Ward mumbled as he tried walking around the three bullies, in order to get into class. If he could just make it, then they wouldn't dare lay a hand on him in front of the teacher. It was the wrong move, and Tony had grabbed him roughly by the arm and pulled him in between his two friends._

_Startled, he had dropped his books onto the floor. He couldn't keep eyes on all three of them, and soon, he was pushed back and forth between the three taller boys. Each time they pushed him around and jarred his back he winced and cried out. They had a field day with that, laughing at how feeble scrawny little Meachum was. The insults and jabs soon died away and they started hitting his chest, gut and face with their fists. One fist slammed into his jaw with enough impact to knock him off his feet. He landed on the ground, a busted lip dripping blood onto the white marble._

_His back was throbbing in renewed pain, and he held his arms around his stomach and in front of his crotch protectively as the kicking started. Although he felt the force of their kicks to his chest, arms, and places his arms couldn't protect, a different pain emanated. All he could hear was the snap of each whack of his father's belt. He felt the sting erupt on his back and the shameful tears in his eyes. Ward was fueled and energized by memories of Harold's beating. He kicked at one of his assailant's ankles, hearing a crunch and one of the boys howled in pain. Whoever it had been, they had stumbled and backed off. He grabbed at the next foot that impacted his chest. He didn't care whose foot it belonged to, he held it and then twisted it as hard as he could. Chet was swept off balance and was flipped onto the floor. Ward took advantage of the last kid's stupefied expression to stand up. Adrenaline dulled the pain he was in as he glared down Trevor, the ring leader. At least Ward would get to look Trevor in the eye before he took him down. Trevor gazed at Tony, who held his ankle hunched over on the floor, and then to Chet who was pulling himself up off the floor, but he was moving more slowly from his own injured foot. Narrowing his eyes, Trevor rushed at Ward, punching his face. He was surprised when Ward dodged out of the way and lost his breath when Ward's knee connected with his gut._

_Ward wasn't finished,"You and your friends will stay away from me, unless you want a worse thrashing next time."_

_With more force then he thought he was capable of, Ward punched the bridge of Trevor's nose. The break was instantaneous and blood began to pour out of his nostrils, down his lips and passed his chin._

_"WARD!" One of the teacher's had stepped out to see what all the commotion was. When she saw the three injured boys on the floor, she checked them over._

_"I...I was just defending myself!" Ward tried to explain. No one else would defend him and the adults in the school didn't do much to protect him._

_"You were defending yourself? Tony's ankle is broken, and you've also broken Trevor's nose. All you have is a scratch." The female teacher moved over to check Chet who shrugged off her questing hands and limped away from her._

_"I'm fine."_

_"Chet-" He shook his head, and got a hold of Tony. "You three head to the nurse." She gave Ward a disappointed look as the older boys hobbled away. The disappointment was beginning to become too familiar and left a sour taste in Ward's mouth. "You're coming with me to the Principal's. We'll be calling your mother and father over you're fighting in school. If you continue to bully others, I'm going to propose to the Principal that you get suspended. We have a zero tolerance policy on troublemaker's and bullies."_

_Ward felt bitterness bubble up to the surface. "They hit me first! I was defending myself."_

_"It's your word against theirs, and their injuries tell a different story. Even if you were, defending yourself is still a form of violence that is unacceptable."_

 

_**Bullshit! This was all bullshit.** _

 

_Ward lowered his eyes as they marched to the main office. It was an empty threat at best. His parents gave the private school a whole lot of money and in the end they'd let him stay after they received another large sum of cash. They didn't care about his education, the truth, or any of the surrounding circumstances. Greed was what he was learning about the system. And he didn't care what the teacher, the Principal, or his parents said. They wanted to see a troublemaker, they hadn't seen anything yet. And after what his father had done the night before, it felt good to dish out some violence on someone else. It made him feel better, gave him a sense of control over something he couldn't control in his life. Ward was already making a list of anyone who'd ever hurt him in his mind, kids he could even the score with. He wasn't going to lay down and take any other kid trying to take advantage of him._

 

_**Never again.** _

* * *

 

Loud thumping music had caught Ward's attention and he thought better of it and walked in the opposite direction. He wasn't in the right state of mind to socialize. His breathing was loud and harsh in the night air and Ward covered his face with his hands. Logically, he should have gone straight home and jumped into a cold shower. It wouldn't have helped his emotional state, but it would have cooled and numbed his burning side. There was probably no way to keep it from scarring, but it could have soothed away the physical pain he was still enduring. Sadly, he wasn't thinking straight and before he knew it, Ward had turned around and had gone back in the direction of the music. Maybe someone would be able to give him a lift home or send him in the right direction. The neon lights were bright, in the darkness of the night and it took Ward's eyes a few seconds to adjust.

It hadn't mattered, Ward didn't read where he was or what establishment he was going inside. The moment he entered, his body vibrated to the bass of the music. There were too many people there, and Ward couldn't make it back out. He had quickly been swallowed up by the crowd and was in the middle of the dance floor, encompassed on all sides before he got his bearings. He assumed he had walked into a gay club when he saw almost all guys around him. A lot of them were scantily dressed and dancing together. He caught a few kissing so hungrily that their faces had disappeared. There were also couples in the corners, groping each other on top of kissing. Ward felt the walls begin to close in on him, and there was no escape. All he could picture was Harold doing all those things to him or wanting to. And he did try, but they all seemed like potential Harold's just waiting to take advantage of him. Ward didn't want to think like that, but what Harold did to him and what he tried to do to get it all to stop was still too fresh in his mind.

Ward stiffened when an arm snaked around his waist and pulled him against the front of his body. He didn't see what the man looked like, but he felt his lips against his ear,"Haven't seem your face here before. Shame, you're sexy as hell."

He shamelessly grinded his hips against his, and Ward's eyes widened in alarm. Taken back to the last hard on he felt pressed against his ass and the music faded to the increased pounding in is ears.

Ward got out of the man's grasp and barely managed a,"Not interested."

He didn't get very far before he was held back. "Oh come on baby, where you going?"

"Away." Ward ground out as he tried getting out of the other man's arms.

This didn't deter the faceless man,"Oooh, playing hard to get. I bet I know what would interest you, sexy." He ran his fingers through Ward's brown strands and Ward felt the first stirrings of anger creep up. The tossle was oddly possessive, just like Harold's, and Ward was getting sick and tired of being treated lik an object that had to be owned. "I can score you a hit. Guaranteed to get you high."

"Where?" Ward gave in, again. He was doing that too often lately.

"Come with me to the back room." It was a demand as he was tugged off the dance floor and to the back. His body seemed to detect the potential danger he was in, but his need to get high and forget about everything for awhile was too great of a temptation. It was his only escape and he needed it too damn badly.

He was led into the backroom and started resisting the moment the sounds and sights assailed his senses. The scent of sex was thick in the air and all Ward could hear were the sounds of guys in ecstasy. _What could have been..._

After a lifetime of abuse from his father, Ward just couldn't associate anything good with sex. He was still pulled along until they found an empty space against the wall. Made to feel even cheaper than he already did, he was shoved against the wall. The pain in his back was nothing to the hysteria rising in his gut. Now that Ward could get a better look at him, though the lighting was extremely dulled, Ward didn't want to. He saw the thin lips, upturned into a crooked grin and dark eyes. The man acted too much like Harold though, and that was really all he could see, was **him**. Ward didn't care of his intentions either, he didn't want this, **_he didn't!_**

His hands were stroking his neck greedily,"I see you like it rough." He licked at Ward's red neck, where the wire had left its marks, before he grabbed Ward's raw wrists, placed them about his head and held him there with one hand. His other was quickly moving to divest them both of their restrictive clothing.

"I-I just want a hit. Pills, drugs. Not this." Ward tried again.

"Oh you want this, bet you've been dying to get a cock in you all night long. You're begging for someone to touch you, I can tell. And baby, no one can resist me."

The fighting started when he reached underneath his underwear and grabbed his cock. "Get off me."

The man held him down tighter, as he forced his lips onto Wards and his tongue into his mouth. The violation kept him from getting hard, but the man either didn't care, or didn't notice. There was no way he was dumb enough to believe he wanted to have sex with him. "I'm going to take you right here against the wall."

"No." Ward spat. "I said no."

"No means yes, sexy. And I get the feeling you've been around." He rubbed his cock against Ward's flaccid dick, before he spun Ward around to grind against his bare ass. "You're mine."

White hot anger overtook Ward and he flung his head backwards, smashing the back of his head with his attackers forehead. The strong hold had been dropped and Ward whipped around, furious. He didn't think about what he was doing. He reared back and kicked the man as hard in the balls as he could. He crumpled to the floor, holding himself gingerly as the pain came at him in crests. By this time, their altercation had grabbed the attention of a few guys, some of which stopped fucking in order to see what was going on.

Knowing his pants and underwear were down to his knees, Ward pulled his clothes up quickly zipping and buttoning them. Despite being covered and surrounded by mostly naked men, Ward felt he was the one on display and felt shame for it.

"You're just a homophobic bigot." The man on the floor, still holding his balls, sneered in hatred.

Ward flinched, bracing himself for being berated and pummeled for his alleged prejudice. The violence he was expecting, never came. One of the guys had grabbed his attacker. "He said no Jack. Several times."

There was a murmur and a few of them crowded around Jack before they carried him away; kicking him out of the club-at least that's how it appeared to Ward. "You dragged someone back here when you didn't have consent?"

"His panicked screams for you to stop, hadn't phased you? You're sick Jack."

"Not to mention it ruined the mood." One had complained, but those were the complaints of sexual frustration.

As soon as they had booted Jack out of the club, one of them had approached him. When Ward's body began to shake, he thought touching him wouldn't help matters. Giving Ward his space, he spoke softly. "Hey. It's over, you're alright."

He was anything but alright and it wasn't over. It would never be over for him. "I...need fresh air." He couldn't breathe. "How do I get out of here?"

The friendly guy, the one that had called Jack out on his shit, gestured for him to follow. "Yeah, just follow me, and I'll get you out of here."

Ward was slow to follow considering what had happened last time, but he didn't like being gawked at and finally got up and followed him all the way until they reached the exit. Once they did, Ward caught him staring. "Are you in trouble?"

His own eyes swept down to his raw wrists, knowing how it must have looked to an outside observer. "No. I'm fine." He gave him one final look before he left the club. "Thank you."

He fled back into the cool night air, picked a direction and left. He could have sworn he saw someone hiding in one of the alley's, their eyes trailing him, but after the night he had he chalked it up to paranoia. He spent two hours wandering, before he finally made it back to his apartment. He'd have someone go fetch his car in the morning. No sooner did he make it into his apartment, before someone attacked him from behind. They crashed into his back, and Ward went sprawling onto the floor.

"You stupid rich bitch. Think you can go anywhere you like, do whatever you want, get away with anything! There will be consequences."

Ward knew that voice, it was Jack from the club. He had to have followed him home. Ward almost laughed at Jack's little speech. Sure he had money, but that was about all he had, and even that was an illusion. His father had access to his money, and could take it all in a heartbeat if he was feeling petty enough. He didn't have or do the things he was accused of, but Jack was too angry to see reason, and Ward sensed he may have also been on something. They wrestled on the floor, but Ward finally kicked him off after Jack began groping him in different area's. He was hauled up by Jack's wandering hands, none to pleased about the kick to his stomach. Ward deflected more blows, and questing hands before he hit Jack twice, and then grabbed him by his shirt collar and threw him out of his apartment. He slammed his door shut, and locked every lock he had. "Get the fuck out of this building and away from me or I'll call the police."

Ward wasn't planning on making his nighttime visit to a gay club public and have it get out that he had been sexually assaulted, but Jack didn't need to know that. There was some pounding on his door, but after several minutes the pounding stopped and he heard the footsteps recede. He slid down to the ground, bringing his knees up to his chest and gripping his hair in his hands, the night's events finally hitting him full force. His angry cries were muffled into his legs and the tension finally drained from his body and he passed out sitting against his front door.


	7. Luxuria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the normal angsty warnings are in effect. Though hopefully that's pretty standard and expected of every chapter by now.
> 
> Chapter 8 might take a bit longer to write out, as I actually need to watch the first episode and see what scenes I want to incorporate into my story (if any) and how close I want those scenes in relation to Canon. But Danny Rand will be joining the story in the next Chapter. It should follow somewhat canon, for the first 2 or 3 episodes, but I'm picturing this story diverging from Canon heavily after that.

Early morning had arrived in New York, as Harold was awoken from his soundless sleep. It was too early for the sunrise, and Harold pushed the button to get out of his glass coffin. He squinted his eyes in the dark, until he saw a figure overlooking the city from his large glass window. They were hidden in shadow, but only one person ever visited him in that way.

"Gao?" He called out into the darkness.

The slim figure's head tilted to the side. The sound of her cane hit the hardwood floor, and it echoed in the quiet and mostly empty space. "Harold. I hear you had a busy night. Leaving your Penthouse."

Harold froze as he tried to word his explanation the right way. "No one saw me. I needed to find and pun...I needed to find my son."

"I don't care what you do to your toys."

"He's my son." Harold cut in, disliking Gao's phrasing. What suspiciously sounded like a scoff came from Gao's mouth. "Let this serve as a warning. If you step foot outside again, it will be you who gets punished next time."

Harold let out a breath, glad to see Gao's merciful side, but something she had said had struck him as odd. "Me? Who got punished this time around?"

Gao placed her hands on the top of her cane. "You asked us to keep an eye on your daughter-"

"Joy. You did something to Joy? What? Is she okay?"

"Your daughter is fine. We've been keeping tabs on Ward as well. He was easier to get at last night."

"Ward...why? What did you do?" Harold asked, suddenly weary of what Gao and her minions had done to his son.

"He was attacked last night by a young man, that works for us, on my order. He also attempted to rape your son."

There was silence from Harold's end. If it had been Joy, he knew immediately what his response would be. So why was it difficult for Harold to think of how to respond to that? Why was it different for Ward? "Who was it? What was the young man's name?"

"And what is that information worth to you?"

Harold narrowed his eyes. "I screwed up last night, and you took it out on my son. I'm only asking to fix my own mess."

Gao thought that over for a second, her face still shrouded in shadow. Slowly, she placed something down on the end table, but in the darkness Harold could only hazard a guess as to what it was. He was certain it was the identity of the man who had attacked his son though. "If he works for you, why would you give me his name or any information on him?"

"He matters not. However, I am curious as to what you'll do with the information. This does not come free Meachum. I'll want something else from your company, and I'll be emailing you the details later."

"Whatever you want Madame Gao."

As Harold reached for whatever it was that she had left him, a sharp crack went through the air. The slap to Harold's outstretched hands was swift, and the wooden can had lashed across them both leaving a red welt in its wake. He cursed loudly, but accepted it for what it was- a warning. A weird hush befell the Penthouse and the sunlight slowly came into the city, giving the room a soft glow. Gao and any of her lackeys that had been there were now gone, but a small flash drive was on the end table, with a name written across it; Jack Wilson. Knowing it was the name of the man who had attacked his son, he grabbed the drive and stalked over to his nearest laptop with it.

He was quick to hook it up to his laptop, narrowly missing seeing Kyle hunched over at his own desk, sleeping soundlessly. The screen flickered to life and it didn't take long for the assault to be caught on camera. He saw his son being thrown up against a wall by a taller, and thinner man. The details of the man were hard to gauge, considering the lighting, but Harold did feel something when he saw Jack's grubby hands sliding all over his son. Ward was squirming and soon had begun to fight him off. He couldn't even feel impressed or proud of his son when Jack sank down to the floor holding his junk. He was far too upset by what he had witnessed. The Hand had his family virtually hostage, not that they knew that except him, but he didn't buy that they had ordered Jack to rape his son. Send a message to him by going after his son, but surely not that message. He had to assume that was the real reason Gao was letting him go after Jack. For all he knew however, Jack had crossed The Hand some other way and this was their way of getting rid of two problems at once. He didn't care. This Jack had tried taking something that didn't belong to him and Harold planned to make him regret his decision.

He backed out of the video Gao had left him, and pulled up his usual visual feed's of Ward and Joy's hangouts, Ward's street outside his apartment, the live feed's inside Ward's apartment and all the ones inside and outside the Rand building. It was habit and he hadn't planned to watch for long, too busy thinking up ways to injure and maim Jack. Yet, movement caught his eye, surveillance from last night, and he spotted Ward returning home after the assault. Not far behind him had been Jack, following Ward who remained unaware of the man's presence.

"Son of a bitch." Harold muttered under his breath. **_What didn't Gao tell him?_**

He glanced away, having a moment of weakness, before he forced himself to watch. He was suppose to help his son grow up strong, but more then that, he needed to protect both of his kids. That little voice in the back of his mind taunted him over the same things and worse things he put Ward through, much worse then Jack could ever hope or dream of. This felt different though. He had always been possessive of Ward, he believed he created him, Ward was his. Harold didn't want to analyze Ward and how his son was making him feel, and instead latched on to the familiar emotions. Anger, Hate, Vindictiveness. His impulses were driving him to annihilate Jack, even his little voice inside, the one always telling him to do something normal society would blanch at, wanted to deface the young man.

Harold was on the edge of his seat as he saw Jack tackle Ward as soon as Ward had opened his apartment door. The struggle lasted a while, but as soon as it had finished, Harold re-watched it a few times before he finally stood up. He waltzed over to Kyle's still sleeping form, and then threw a jacket onto his head. Abruptly, Kyle shot up and off his seat, his feet slipped on the smooth flooring and he fell backwards.

"Wha...What's going on?" Kyle gazed around before he finally realized where he had fallen asleep the night before and where he was now. His eyes spotted Harold and he gave the older man a puzzled look. "Mr. Meachum?" He squeaked.

"Kyle, get the car."

Kyle helped himself up before he ran to grab the car keys that were hanging near the entrance to the penthouse. He didn't know what Harold wanted with the car or what he was planning, but he trusted Harold.

"I need you to hunt down a Jack Wilson for me." He turned his laptop over in Kyle's general direction. He had paused the video on the best shot he had of Jack's face. "He's most certainly still hanging around my son's apartment. Pick him up before Ward wakes up and leaves his apartment."

Kyle chewed on his lower lip. "Yyyes. Sir." He didn't want to disappoint but he wasn't sure how he'd bring him in if the man resisted. He seemed like he could handle himself and would easily overtake Kyle if things went south. "How do you suggest I grab him and bring him up here if he resists?"

He stroked Kyle's cheek, sending him a charismatic smile. "You'll figure it out, Kyle."

* * *

 

_Hands shot out of the darkness from every angle and moved against his body. They pressed up against his skin, moving and flowing with every breath in and out he took. As soon as the smooth hands began to press into him, Ward jerked away. He didn't get very far, when something hampered his movements. His wrists were encased in chains that gave him zero wiggle room. A wide and heavy strap was stretched across his bare chest and no amount of shaking was able to get him free. He was held down, unable to move, naked, and the hands...The hands were back and they were everywhere all at once. He felt sick to his stomach, and he opened his mouth to scream or puke. Even that orifice was stuffed and violated. Fingers were inside his mouth, caressing his tongue, and he felt the nails scrape the roof of his mouth and the inside of his cheeks._

_Unavoidably, Ward shouted out, though it was muffled and broken. Noise must have been offensive, because the fingers in his mouth increased, forcing his jaw to open wider. The hand diving into his mouth, gagging him and silencing him kept his mouth ajar. His own hands clenched into fists and as much as he strained against the chains, he remained idle. Tears were pried from the corner of his eyes, leaking and running down his face against his will. Everything was against his will. Victim was spoken in the air surrounding him, but he didn't recognize the voice. It was deep, and haunting. The word he didn't want to hear, didn't was to be associated with, that word he tried to avoid and ignore, started up again. A chant, whispered on his skin and through his hair, tormenting him where he lay motionless. He couldn't escape it and was forced to listen._

**_Forced!_ **

_He didn't want to be a victim, he certainly didn't want to think of himself as one. He was choking, he couldn't breathe, and there was still too many hands touching him and groping him in places that made his body tingle. He was vibrating, on the edge of hysteria and anger and nothing was changing. That's when his entire body erupted in a battlefield of pain. It felt like he was being flayed alive as the hands were now sharp wire's, pulling at his skin and digging until there was nothing left. Nothing but blood. He even tasted the thick coppery liquid bubble up his throat. With his mouth still pried open and lodged, there was nowhere for the blood to go. He had already been unable to breathe, but he really felt the burn in his lungs._

_He thrashed about, though his restraints didn't really allow him to, much. There was a sudden, sharp pain in his chest and more tears were forced out of his eyes as he felt the pressure. Ward could literally feel the thudding in his chest slow down and grow weaker. His eyes were wide, but he caught no clues on his assailants. Soon his thrashing stopped, along with his heart, and the darkness fled. He was suddenly in his apartment, still sitting up on the floor against his door. No one else was in the room with him, but he felt this weight on his chest. He fell forward trying to get away from his imaginary attackers, gasping for breath. He curled up, and stared down at the floor, as he drew in ragged breaths. Focusing on something benign, had calmed him down enough to relax and stabilize his breathing._

_A chuckling noise snapped his attention forwards. "Pathetic." Harold sat on a chair in front of him, a cold and apathetic look to his eyes._

_Ward cautiously sat up, but was too drained and sore to stand up on his feet. "How'd you get into my apartment? Why are you here?" Could he not have one day where he didn't feel suffocated? He just needed one day to himself. One day to get back to a sense of normalcy. Obviously that wasn't going to happen._

_"I can't come and visit my favorite son?"_

_Ward bit his lip,"I'm your only son. And no. You're not allowed to leave your Penthouse."_

_The cruel laughter was back. "Since when has pesky rules ever stopped me?"_

_Ward froze, his fears choking him and he had to tear his eyes away from his father. The sight and smell of Harold was closing his windpipe and his own panic was gripping him in an unbreakable clasp. "What do you want? Haven't..." He paused lowering his head and picking a random spot on the floor. He had cooled down and found his voice once more. "Haven't you done enough?"_

_A cold metal band slid around his throat and bit into his sensitive flesh. Ward's hands flew to the band, grabbing at it wildly as he searched for a way to remove it. His fingers found where it locked into place. And there was no mistaking that there was a lock, keeping the freezing metal around his neck. As penance for investigating the band, a pressure hit his Adam's apple and into his neck and pulled his head backwards. His head was tilted up and he was staring at the ceiling, but it was the only position he could be in to get the air he needed to breathe. With precise motions, Harold stood up and walked over to him. He was looming over him and Ward groaned as his neck strained in the uncomfortable spot._

_Harold fingered Ward's neck, reveling in Ward's shudder of disgust. "Collared and leashed."_

_A new voice sounded behind him, the one presumably holding his leash. No, Ward thought with mounting horror, it wasn't a new voice. He knew that voice._

_"That's the way it should be. Stupid fucking rich boy. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth." He couldn't see his face, but it was definitely Jack. Those lips were back and they were a feather's touch upon his cheek. "You don't know what it's really like to suffer, but I'm going to show you, dog. Harold here was nice enough to give you to me."_

_"He...wouldn't." His body tensed and flexed, unsure if he should try to fight them. "Harold's an obsessive psychopath. He wouldn't let you have-"_

_He was cut off when Harold punched him and then grabbed his face. "You're a dog, Ward. All you do is bark."_

_Ward's brown eyes slanted sideways to the corner and he saw a dog bowl and water dish on the floor. Both had his name on it. He growled and then spat in Harold's face. "I'm not a dog! I'm not your damn pet. I'm not a-a thing!" He was hit again by Harold._

_"You're going to have your work cut out for you, Jack. He's always been a bit unruly and wild."_

_Jack stroked his hair, like he was petting a dog, before he started ripping off his clothes. "I'll have fun breaking him, but first,...I want to have some fun."_

_The tears stung his eyes again and he kicked and shoved Jack's hands away. It was those damn hands again. They were on his skin, clawing and grabbing, as his clothes started to rip and fray. This couldn't be happening to him, not now, not again, and not in front of his father._

At once, he woke up with a jerk. He was laying on the floor, in the entrance way of his apartment. He could breathe, but it didn't stop his hands from reaching his neck. He touched all around it, but aside from feeling a slight bump, welts from the wire the night before, he felt no collar. The fact that his skin was still inflamed, alerted him. Of course, he hadn't been in the right state of mind to do anything about his injuries the night before; truthfully, he wasn't doing much better now either. He did glance ahead of him, where Harold had been sitting in his dream, but no one was there and there was no chair either. His body was sore and he cried out in agony as he shuffled to his feet.

Ward could only guess that his body was hurting so bad, because of what he endured last night with Harold and the way he had fallen asleep on the floor. This was real. His body was throbbing too much and his mouth was dry with the taste of carpet present on his tongue. Stupidly, he grabbed at his stinging side, hoping the hold would help, but it had only caused him more pain. He let out another moan of pain, allowing his front door to hold up his weight. Luckily, he had gotten Joy out of his apartment. She didn't need to see him this way. He was running out of believable excuses, he was running out of lame lies as well as the obvious ones.

He also knew what it did to him every time he did lie to his sister. Ward didn't know how much longer he could keep it up, before something snapped. His body was still a temple of torture, at least that's how it felt to him. Joy was the only one that ever gave him affection and it was rare for Ward to be shown or touched in any other way besides in pain. All of his life it seemed, was a blur of misery. A couple of wet droplets fell to the floor and it took Ward a couple of minutes to realize he was silently crying.

He quickly wiped at his face, to erase the tears. He didn't need to give Harold any more ammo against him and crying was Harold's go to for his weakness. The throbbing overtaking his entire body wasn't going to go away. So he gritted his teeth to bare it, and wobbled down his hallway and into the bathroom. He went to his special cupboard, and pulled out his new bottle of prescription medication. He took two more then his prescribed dose, and then took his clothes off, yelling out in pain when his body protested. He needed to hop in the shower and put on some sort of cream on his side before the pills took effect. He didn't want to, but he knew he needed to look.

For the most part, his body looked the same as it did a few days ago. Aside from the red marks on his neck and both wrists, the only major difference was the nasty red and white burn on his side, down to his hip. That was what he was really worried about, but all of it would be easy to hide under clothes. The raw skin around his wrists and neck would heal in a day or two. He scowled at his own face. He hated what he saw in his reflected eyes and turned away before he threw his fist through the mirror. He ran the shower and as soon as the water became lukewarm, he hobbled in.

He couldn't cope with a hot shower, his side burned every time he saw it or thought of it. He knew on some level that it was his own mind playing tricks on him. That his side wasn't really on fire, but it was a sensation he kept feeling. Ward let his thoughts drift away from the car lighter and pretty soon he had finished. It hadn't been perfect, with his mangled body, he just was unable to bend and reach certain areas of his body. Once he recovered some, he promised himself to clean everything thoroughly, twice. He noticed he was starting to get shaky and have problems staying upright as he turned the shower off and stepped out. Assuming the pills were beginning to work, he dressed into a suit-out of habit.

He had no intentions of going into work, but he didn't feel comfortable in anything but a suit now. Perhaps because he had done it so long or because the layers of clothes gave him the illusion that he was covered and hidden-which he was. Of course, it was his luck that his phone would ring as soon as he had applied ointment to his side, gotten dressed and was heading towards his bedroom to lay down in his comfy bed. Reacting instantly, he pulled out his phone and almost lost his balance when he checked who was calling him. He steadied himself before answering.

"Lawrence." Ward wasn't rude, but it was hard to maintain a business tone while the drowsiness had started to set in. His apartment was slowly turning into a tilt-o-whirl and he put most of his weight on the wall beside him. "This really isn't a good time." He was brutally honest, which Lawrence never appreciated. In fact, he could have sworn that he heard Lawrence roll his eyes through his cell phone.

"Then you better make time Ward."

Ward pinched the bridge of his nose and quelled a sigh. "Why don't you just call my sister? Joy is perfectly capable of handling any issues you may have."

"My issue's are with you, Ward."

Great, Ward thought to himself. Like he didn't have enough problems as it was. "What's the trouble, Lawrence?" He opened the door to his bedroom, but stood as the foot of the bed. The moment he laid down, he knew he'd be out for a couple hours. Lawrence didn't bother to hide behind pretenses, he made sure to let Ward know how frustrated he was.

There was an insufferable sigh from Lawrence before he answered. "You finally got us all on board with the Ponds business, and they're eager to start negotiations and what do you do? You cancelled on them!"

"I didn't cancel. I rescheduled our meeting with them on a day I'll actually be able to attend."

"It could take weeks before we'll all be free again to start negotiations." Lawrence continued to argue.

"So then we'll start them in a weeks time or when the next opportunity presents itself." Ward was surprised he was still able to sound rational.

"Negotiations are a delicate process and can take a long time to complete as it is. Do you really want to lose potential weeks to this?"

Ward's hold on his phone turned into a white-knuckled grasp. "As you stated, a conference is a deft procedure and things happen. Obstacles get in the way that can postpone business arrangements. This is one of those times. It's already done, Lawrence. Recanting the delay is only going to look unprepared and unprofessional on our end. If you still have any other questions or concerns then address them to my sister."

Ward abruptly hung up on him, too out of it to continue with the niceties. He sent another quick text to Joy, to warn her of Lawrence's mood and his issues. Once he had done that, he set his phone on the small table beside his bed. He carefully laid back, getting a chance to enjoy the muddled sensation the pills gave him and as predicted; he was out in a matter of seconds.

* * *

 

He was groggy and his mouth tasted like cotton balls. Ward had slept for quite some time, and he reached his hand out, flailing for his phone. His body had a dull ache all over, but Ward knew he'd be able to push it to the background once he fully awoke. Yet, his brown eyes didn't want to open, content to remain where he was and sleep a little longer. He found his phone, saw the time, but his head was too fuzzy to comprehend what the time was. He also noticed a few missed calls from Joy, his father, and some of the board members. Probably at Lawrence's insistence. But he put his phone down, and fell back asleep.

He woke up again some time later when he heard what sounded like a scream. The scream wasn't loud, but it was out of place in his apartment and it had cut through his dreamless snooze. He hadn't turned the television on and he couldn't recall opening his bedroom window. A pained grunt overtook his ears, alerting Ward that something was wrong. He fought the barrier of obscurity and opened his eyes. It became apparent at once that everything was amiss. The ceiling he was staring at was higher, with a darker paint job. His bed was larger than he remembered and the sheets were familiar. They weren't his, but he recognized them. He wasn't fully awake and the drugs were still in his system. Otherwise, he would have identified where he was upon waking.

He rubbed at his eyes, then ran a hand through his skewed hair. Yawning, he stretched; grimacing when his aching body made all of his injuries known. Another noise came through the door, but it had coincided with his own noise of pain that Ward had to do a double-take at the door leading out of the room. Ward heard a moan coming from outside, not one of agony; just the opposite. Immediately, he was taken back to the previous night. Ward suddenly and irrationally thought that if he opened the door, he'd be back in that place, back in the dark and dingy backroom. That place where Jack had attacked him.

It didn't look like the club, and there wasn't any loud music thumping in the background. Those two thoughts were the only thing that pulled Ward away from that memory. **_Where was he?_** He searched his brain for the answer while one of his hands gripped at his hair-wondering why he wasn't in his apartment. Finally, it clicked, and Ward sobered a tiny bit. **_How did he come to be at Harold's?_   **He didn't sleepwalk over; he couldn't have. He was at Harold's. He grabbed at his chest and felt it beat more uncontrollably.

**_He was screwed, he was so screwed._ **

The trauma from the night before made it difficult for him to remember all the details. Ward did remember that Harold hadn't wanted to see him again. He had done something to anger Harold or had disappointed the man again. His father had been and seemed absolutely sincere. He wouldn't be at his father's penthouse unless he had somehow proved himself of worth in Harold's eyes. He laughed scathingly at himself, making his way to the door. As he reached the door, his heart began to thunder in his chest.

 

**Harold knew.**

 

Knew about Jack's attack, that he had been too weak not to see it coming. That his first reaction had been to let it happen. He didn't even know why he had been so affected by Jack, why he was still affected. He'd been through worse, and endured worse, all from Harold. Though he heard a traitorous voice in his head tell him that he loved his father.

His hold on the doorknob tightened, though he was unable to turn and open the door. He didn't love Harold; he hated him. Hate was better, it was easier, it was normal. As he thought about his hatred, about Harold, his mind began to twist all the possibilities of his punishment, but he knew he probably couldn't even fathom the worst Harold had in store for him. Ward didn't think his body could take any more, and he didn't want to consider his emotional psyche. However, if he didn't face the music, if he made Harold come after him- the punishment would be even worse. He opened the door, and stepped into the main room of the Penthouse.

The noises were the first things his senses picked up. He heard the unmistakable sounds of flesh smacking against flesh. This had Ward pausing, questioning if he should venture further or not. He braced himself for Harold being buried in Kyle's ass, while Kyle laid there wanton and panting for more. Oh, he knew how scared Kyle was of Harold, but he'd still caught the subtle looks Kyle would shoot Harold's way. He was either a really dumb and gullible kid or he was attracted to dangerous and psychotic men. Either way, Ward couldn't protect Kyle from Harold, as well as Joy. He had tried protecting another kid from Harold once, and it had been the best and worst decision of his life. It had changed everything for Ward.

Ward did try and run interference between Harold and Kyle when he could and when Harold was focused on him, everyone else was safe. But it'd kill him if Harold's attention was on him constantly. Besides, Kyle spent most of his time with Harold, there was just no way to keep an eye on the kid all the time. Kyle was on his own. No amount of bracing could prepare him of Harold and Kyle fucking, however. He didn't want to witness Kyle naked, and he didn't want to know what they got up to when he was at work, or elsewhere. Ward would have liked to remain blissfully unaware.

He turned the corner when he heard a male, that wasn't Harold, in pain. He knew he had just told himself that he couldn't protect Kyle, that the young man was on his own. But if he was nearby and Kyle needed help. _**What kind of man would he be if he just say by and did nothing while he let Harold do what he wanted?**_ He knew what Harold was capable of. Walking into the living area, where the noises were coming from, Ward stopped dead. There had been no amount of preparation for the scene and he had to stare at it before his mind could process it. Out in front of him was a naked man, who most surely wasn't Kyle. He was strapped down in an uncomfortable position. Spread out, with his back turned to Harold, and his head hung low. Judging by the red marks and bruises on the mans skin that were already forming, the man was an unwilling participant in Harold's game.

Harold was thrusting inside the man, who had long since stopped struggling and was just enduring it. Ward could tell. But he had never seen Harold from the angle he saw him now, and it rooted him to the spot with nothing to say. His father still wore all of his clothes, which didn't surprise Ward. When Harold did take the time to 'enjoy' him, he'd strip him naked, but couldn't make the effort to get nude himself. Ward was grateful for that, it helped him block it out when he knew Harold wasn't fully enjoying himself and wanted it to be quick. But at the same time Harold's actions always made him feel like a slut; a worthless one at that.

Harold's eyes took him in, but it was the upturned lips of an amused smirk that brought Ward out of his stupor. "I was hoping you'd be awake for this." He grabbed roughly at the tied man. Harold's fingers were in the man's hair, and he yanked him forward's revealing his face. There was a blindfold over his eyes, but his mouth was free. His jaw tensed to hold in much of his inner turmoil and pain. _Did he know this man? Were the drugs still clouding his mind?_

"Please. I didn't take it this far...I stopped. So please stop this."

A hand flew up to Ward's mouth and he took an involuntary step backwards.

"You touched what's mine, Jack." He didn't stop in his thrusts. This was fundamentally different to all the times Harold had him bent over. Looking and searching Harold's eyes, Ward realized his father wasn't enjoying himself. This was different for Harold, and Ward wasn't sure what he was seeing. "You attacked and tried to rape my son. Did you think you would escape justice?"

"This isn't justice!" Jack whined.

Ward watched, unsure how to process everything. But all he could feel was Jack pulling his pants down, feel his face get pushed up against the wall and Jack's dick sliding between his ass cheeks. The wet tears, the shame, and embarrassment; in front of countless strangers. The dim lighting had been Ward's only saving grace, but that no longer mattered. Harold had his own reasons for capturing Jack and getting him in his current position, but that didn't matter to Ward either. The nightmare he had of Harold and Jack working together, using him as a pet was now irrelevant and not something Ward needed to worry over. He knew Jack objectified him, though of him as a pet or had potentially wanted to use him as a sex slave. Whatever it was, Ward was angry. He knew what it was to suffer, money that Harold controlled didn't make his life better or easier.

With one look at his body, Jack had assumed what he liked and wanted. He gave one look at where Ward lived and suddenly thought he knew all there was to know of him. Ward could only see Jack from the night before, the one that wanted to hurt him in more ways then one. The Jack that wanted to dominate and have complete control over him. He roared out in fury and started kicking at Jack. Harold released his hold on Jack's hair and he fell forward, left to withstand what the two Meachum men had to dish out. Ward was only releasing what he had bottled up the night before, but it still scared Ward that he was losing control so quick and easily. He wondered how much he resembled and reflected Harold in that moment, but Jack had attacked him in his home, at the only place he felt safe; whether or not that safety was an illusion, it was still a place that should have been a haven for Ward. Jack had this power over him because of it and he needed to reclaim it somehow.

Harold allowed Ward to get some of his bottled emotions out before he started back up in his thrusts. His eyes never left Ward, and he knew when Ward started running out of steam. He was gasping rapidly when his hits got weaker, and he finally stopped. Ward backed up, leaning against a wall. His eyes had widened, and while he was facing the scene in front of him, he didn't really see anything. Jack was hanging limply, moaning in pain, while Harold thrusted a few more times before stilling inside Jack. Harold never made a noise and Ward didn't know Harold had finished until he was standing in front of him; blocking his view of Jack. Blinking, Ward gazed up at Harold.

"He no longer has any power over you." He caressed the back of his knuckles along Ward's cheek. Ward felt the callouses, and the blood, but wasn't upset. In some twisted poetic way, Harold had given him the justice he sought and gave him back what Jack had taken from him. He didn't agree with what Harold did, but he couldn't disagree either. It'd been freeing to get back at the man that had hurt him; one of them at least.

"He knows you're alive. What are you going to do now?"

The knuckles went down to his jaw. "He works for The Hand."

There was sudden fright in Ward's eyes,"What?"

"Don't worry, Ward. They're unhappy with Jack. Chances are he can run, only for so long, before they catch up to him. It's out of our hands and no longer our problem. He'll have bigger problems to face now. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

Ward got what Harold meant. Harold's new friends would eventually find Jack and make him disappear. He wasn't sure if Jack deserved death, but Ward knew he wouldn't lose any sleep over it either. "Good." Ward sighed in relief.

Harold's touch lingered, but he left Ward's personal space in order to unstrap and free Jack. The man fell limp to the floor. He was still conscious, but didn't move. Ward didn't care what was going through Jack's head, he just didn't want to see him anymore. Reading his son's mind, Harold called out for Kyle. The young kid came running over, flushed.

"Yes, sir?"

"Take out the trash, would you?" Harold kicked at one of Jack's legs. Kyle nodded enthusiastically, as he helped Jack up and walked them out of the Penthouse.

"Thank you." The words felt weird and hollow to his ears.

It brought Harold back into his space. Ward felt apprehensive when Harold grabbed his face between his two hands. "We have our differences, son. You could do and be so much better. You have so much potential. I...am harsh and strict. I'm sorry. I just don't have any other way to teach you."

Ward was leery as Harold searched his eyes. He bent forward and hugged Ward close to him. There were several minutes before Ward belatedly raised his arms and hugged him back. He was moving on autopilot, unsure what else to do. When Harold's hands moved down to his side, Ward tensed and hissed in through his teeth.

Harold gritted his teeth, rubbing his stubbled cheek along Ward's clean shaven one. "What else did that bastard do to you?" Ward resisted, but upon inspection of Ward's side, flashes of Harold's explosive temper and violent urges had come flooding back to him. "Oh Ward, What did I do?" As he leaned over to further inspect his son, Ward pulled his shirt down and back away from Harold.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Ward bit out. Obviously, neither was true, but he didn't want to linger on it or talk about it.

"Ward." Harold stalked forward and closed the gap between them. "I'm sorry; I get these cravings that I can't control and I end up hurting the one I love. It'll never happen again, Ward. I promise."

Ward was shaking in place. "You've said that before."

His hand was back on Ward's cheek. "Help me learn how to stop. To control these impulses." He leaned in and kissed Ward's lips chastely. Ward tensed up and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Harold didn't push the kiss further. Once he broke away, Ward saw regret in his father's eyes. "I can't control this. Help me."

Ward felt another tear slide down his other cheek. His father sounded sincere, and Ward agreed to help him, since Harold had never asked for help before. He buried his face hugging his father. When Harold reciprocated, Ward thought things would be different. Ultimately, times were improving. Behind him, Harold got comfortable in the hug and grinned a malicious and cruel smile.


	8. Redi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be WARNED. There is very uncomfortable scenes in this chapter. Harold's pedophilia comes into play more in this chapter, as well as underage rape. It's sort of detailed, but sort of not. I tried to find a medium, but if you're uncomfortable with any of that, then do not read this chapter.
> 
> The first scene does follow the first scene of episode one, almost to a T, but with very small differences. However, it does almost start to diverge from canon after that. So, while I still intend to have some of the scenes from the show warped into my story, over the next couple of chapters, don't count on it. Since I've already started to add different elements and diverge from canon in this chapter, it's going to turn into its own weird alternate universe. I have also drastically changed Danny's real reason for leaving Kun'lun, and his own motivations. (You won't learn about all that just yet, but I had to also change Danny's personality slightly to fit that. So if there are moments where he's out of character, I do have a reason for that.) Not sure if ya'll will enjoy that or not.
> 
> Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome. Idea's from this point on will be welcome and considered as well. (Even though I do have a vague direction of where this story is going, it's a bit uncharted territory for me after this chapter)

Blue eyes surveyed the massive city and the tall skyscrapers, they took in the awe inspiring city. Confidently, he walked down the street, every sight, smell and sound being absorbed as his homesickness began to lift. Everything was so new, but at the same time it gave him a strong sense of nostalgia. It'd been a long time since he had set foot in the city, but it was still home to him. His bare feet padded down the sidewalk, and not a single person stopped him or questioned him about it. Though, it was New York after all. His feet let him in the right direction as familiar places started to crop up. Although he'd been gone for fifteen years, and his hometown had changed in that time, he was more surprised to see what hadn't changed. Looking upwards, the Rand building came into view and Danny went there as fast as he could. It wasn't easy, considering how crowded the streets were, but he needed to find the Meachum's and talk with Harold. He needed family, and for good or ill, they were the only family he had left. He had to take in every inch of the whole building, before he opened stepped foot inside. He placed his bag upon the receptionists desk, expecting June, though not entirely surprised that she was no longer at the desk, and missed the repulsive face that crossed over the new receptionists face. He had to keep reminding himself that he'd been gone for fifteen years. A lot could happen in fifteen years, hell a lot could happen in a single night.

He gave the woman a charming smile as he referenced June, only to realize she had no idea who he was talking about and he had only made the situation awkward. "Doesn't matter,"He abolished. "I'm here to see Harold Meachum."

Even more confusion crossed over her features. "I'm sorry...That's not possible."

"I'm Danny Rand. The son of Wendell Rand. I've uh...been away a long time." It was the truth, but it still seemed like a hollow excuse to Danny. He just couldn't think of anything else, and now he was worried that they would turn him away for the lame excuse.

"And you're here to see Harold Meachum?" She asked once more for clarification. Fidgeting behind the counter. She had begun reaching for the phone before getting a confirmation.

Danny didn't understand what was so absurd about his request, which is why he felt a little bit of an annoyed clip to his own voice. "Yeah."

"One minute please." She picked up the phone and spoke into it in a hushed tone. She wanted to put as much distance between her and the homeless man as she could, and she immediately called for security, expecting the man to become violent.

Danny grinned, more to himself, as his eyes swept around the interior of the building. Memories, there were so many memories tied to that building, to the city itself and Danny just couldn't shake them. He didn't want to. It was a connection to his dead parents, and he felt a sense of safety and love being there. He vaguely heard the receptionist tell him that someone would be with him in a moment, and he nodded his head. All those feelings of being back inside the Rand building burst the moment a man grabbed him and started ushering him towards the exit.

"You don't belong here, filthy hobo."

The second man with him, sneered as though being homeless was some disease, and grabbed him by the other arm. They weren't violent, but they weren't gentle with him either when they threw him out of the building, despite his protests of being Danny Rand. Danny was not going to be denied. He needed to see Harold and he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Things had been put into motion, and there were bad people after him. **_And Damnit!_** He needed help from the only family he had and trusted. And he wasn't going to lie, the resources at the Meachum's fingertips would benefit him in a big way. He couldn't turn his back on that and walk away. Spinning back around, he peered into the building to see where the two neanderthals walked off to before he opened the glass door and strolled back inside.

The receptionist saw the homeless "Danny" come back in like it was nothing and spoke out getting the attention of the two security guards.

"Grab him!"

"Get him out of here."

"Call the police."

The woman behind the desk screeched out a warning, when Danny threw the first punch, but had been too late. The guard wasn't hurt, though that was because Danny held back his true strength, and both guards came at him fists flying. He blocked them with superior ease. "I need to talk with Harold."

It wasn't exactly an obsession, but Danny knew how it'd be viewed as such. He needed help, and he had wanted to talk to Harold and possibly Ward and Joy as well, if they were still in the city, rationally as adults. But they had denied him such a basic human right, purely on the basis of his appearance. They hadn't even given him the option to make an appointment. Because of false assumptions? And now they were throwing him out of his building, out of his home. No, he needed Harold's help and he wasn't going to let some second-rate cop bullying him out of the building because he was 'lower-class' or 'lower than dirt'.

A brief scuffle occurred, resulting in the two men being flung aside. He heard someone in the background making a call to the cops, or he presumed it was the cops. Having limited time, Danny rushed on ahead. He eluded another guard, only to rush through the next set of doors, to the elevators; which were also guarded. The slim man had a baton out, and Danny leaned backwards, out of the way. He grabbed his arm and then forced the man to hit himself in the head with the baton before pushing him down to the ground. He pressed the button for the elevator with his feet, threw the guard out of the double doors, and then used the baton to keep anyone else out.

He was in the elevator as soon as the doors opened. Luckily, an employee, oblivious to what had transpired, with her face hidden in her purse had boarded as well. He used her badge to press for the forty-fifth floor. She got off on the level below it, but he was able to calm the adrenaline rushing through his body on the ride up. As soon as the elevator doors opened on the floor he needed, Danny took off. He headed in the direction that he last remembered Harold Meachum's office was. He ignored the assistant trying to get his attention and walked into the open office, expecting to see Harold. Instead, a younger man sat at his desk, dark brown hair slicked back, wearing a very flattering blue suit.

He glanced up sharply at the sudden intrusion into his work space and his and Danny's eyes met. Danny couldn't comprehend what was going on. This was not who he was expecting and despite some sort of stab of familiarity towards the man that he couldn't explain, he didn't know this stranger. With brows furrowed he spoke up. "Who are you? Where's Harold?!"

The man imitated the same confused stare, though his was a bit more annoyed. Danny gave the man credit though, he had kept his composure. "Excuse me? Who are you?"

Danny heard the voice, it was different, aged, but it was unmistakable. It was Ward. It had to be. Before he had a chance to say anything, a tall brunette woman came walking into the office. She and Danny caught a glimpse of each other, but Danny's lingering gaze went immediately back to the man in the chair. "Ward?" How had he missed it? Those dark brown eyes, his parted lips, the shock-no still confusion, on his pale skin. Fifteen years, but it was Ward. Older, and even more attractive than Danny ever could have come up with when he was younger and imagining it. He shook his head of those thoughts, he grew up with Ward and Joy, he was like a brother.

His eyes swept back to the woman, the one who he remembered always had a sunny smile, long thick locks, someone that had always stuck up for him in school. She had grown up, and was beautiful, and he had recognized her right away. She had the same eyes as Harold, her hair wasn't as light as Harold's, but she shared so many similar features to Harold and he chuckled, almost catching that same feeling of home and safety that had been ripped from him down in the lobby. "Joy?" He came forward, feeling like the kid he hadn't been in so long, when faced with people from his past that he gave a damn about. "It's me, Danny."

He hadn't been prepared for Joy to back away from him, afraid of him and what he might do. She was scared witless and Ward stood up instantly. As though he sensed a clear and present danger to his sister and was about to go into attack mode. Danny watched Ward get closer to his sister, his hand reaching out for her. "D-Danny Rand." He stuttered, trying to calm them down. He couldn't understand why they were scared. He should have been prepared for them not believing he was who he said he was. It was one of those scenario's he considered for two seconds before throwing it down the line as a possibility, but improbable. But he hadn't recognized them at first either, he had been almost angry that a stranger was sitting in Harold's chair. So, he wasn't prepared to handle them not knowing who he was.

Ward's scrutiny was both aggravating and exciting. Danny hoped it was a good sign. That he was seeing the resemblance, the way Danny had finally recognized Ward, and Joy. Instead, Ward took the conversation in a different direction, probably some sort of stalling tactic that one had to learn when dealing with a corporation as big as Rand. "How did you get up here?"

"The elevator. I...uh..." Danny had started innocently, and openly. But trailed off, knowing full well that it wouldn't sound too good that he borrowed someone else's ID badge and came up to the top floor, without an appointment and by attacking a bunch of guards just doing their jobs. He was not going to come out of this unscathed, but if he could just convince them of who he was, or see Harold, it'd all be worth it. It had to be. "I came to see your father."

Ward saw Joy clench her fist at her side. Their father had 'died' years ago, but he knew Joy still grieved for the bastard. He knew that she still got sad when she had to talk about their father when she wasn't mentally prepared for it. So he spoke softly, keeping this stranger, this homeless guy focused on him. "Look, you're...I think you're in the wrong place." He ignored the stares Joy kept shooting in his direction.

"No. This is definitely the right place." Danny chuckled, looking around the office, remembering the same four walls, and mentally taking in the differences that took place during the past fifteen years.

Joy moved closer to Ward, Danny noted, still leery and scared of him. It was the biggest redeeming factor that Ward had, that Danny had always secretly loved, and envied. Ward protected Joy from everything and everyone. She would fuss about it at school, but Danny knew Joy loved that Ward guarded her, and loved knowing that if something or someone hurt her, Ward would put an end to it. Danny had always wanted to be protected like that by someone; by Ward.

"I'm calling security. They can help you."

"Wait, no....I-it's me." Danny tried again, even though Ward already had the phone to his ear. Joy placed a hand on Ward's arms cautiously. Her voice was soft. So soft that the assistant still standing in the doorway wouldn't be able to hear her, but Danny was close enough that he picked up on it.

"Is he...the...Is he the one that ...mugged you the other night?"

Danny's eyes widened significantly at that. That would explain why they were terrified of some stranger just waltzing into their building like their security was nothing. And that didn't bode well at all for him once they learned what he did down in the lobby. "No." Ward replied softly, but Danny saw how tense Ward had gotten just thinking about the memory of getting mugged. Must have been bad, if it had cracked through Ward's hard exterior.

"Let me just talk to Harold Meachum, okay? Once I do that, I'll leave you guys alone. You'll never have to see me again." It wasn't what he wanted, they were family too, but he had no right to force them to be friendly to him. To force them to being the family he wanted them to be. Harold, Harold would believe him and help him, and that's all he needed for now.

Joy gave one final squeeze to Ward's wrist, missing the wince her brother gave, though it hadn't gone unnoticed by Danny. However, he chalked it up to the mugging Joy had mentioned. "I'm afraid Harold Meachum is dead."

"What? I...I didn't know. When?" Danny asked, his chances for seeking the aid he needed fizzling away before his eyes. Finding out the closest man he had to an uncle was also dead, hurt too.

Ward was exasperated,"Why is no one picking up? Can you get security up here?" He slammed the phone down as soon as his assistant left.

"He died of cancer." Joy took a pause to collect herself. "Twelve years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Danny was genuine, but figured Joy and Ward wouldn't really believe him. Still, it was more for him, then for them. "All our parents are gone now."

Ward fixed him with a steely gaze, and Danny felt nervous under it. He was nervous because he was both scared and a little turned on by the powerful gaze. He knew Ward was not happy, but Danny couldn't tell if it was because he was bringing up bad memories, if it was because security wasn't answering and he had to play to the so called delusions of a strange man in his office, or if it was because said strange man was claiming to be someone of importance to him that went missing fifteen years ago. As much as Danny wished it was the last one, he knew that the feelings had been one sided back when they were kids. In fact, Ward didn't know about his childhood crush, or maybe he did. Ward was cruel to him when they were little, and maybe it was because he knew about Danny's crush on him and it made him uncomfortable. No matter what the reason, he needed to get back on topic. Joy, while she didn't touch him, she did have her hand swept out, trying to gesture to him to get out of her brother's office. "Well then...Thanks for dropping by, but I'm going to show you-"

"What? No, no, no. I guess...I need to talk to you then."

"What you need is to get out of my face, walk out of my office, and get your dirty bare feet out of my building." His tone was very short and his jaw was tense. This was a ticking time-bomb situation and he couldn't help noticing Joy was still standing off to the side, scared of what might happen.

"Seriously. It's me! We...we can go wherever you like. I just need to talk to you. I know how strange this must be."

"Really?" Ward cut Danny off, his eyes were aflame in anger. "You think? Maybe that's because Danny Rand is dead! Please, get out of here now."

"Ward, just calm down."

"Are you seriously telling me to calm down? You barge in here, which you can't do without a ID badge, that you had to have stolen. You bring up my dead father and upset my sister. You disgrace the memory of our dead friend. And you're threatening us in our own office. Get out, or I'll throw you out."

Danny felt his own anger begin to rise. "Back off, Ward."

Ward walked around his desk, anger couldn't even begin to cover it. He spent a lifetime of being told what to do, being under someone else's control, he wasn't going to let some curly blonde haired delusional shithead walk all over him as well. "Keep telling me what to do..."

"Alright, alright." Joy interjected, getting between the two men. It was very reminiscent to Danny. If he hadn't been so angry, he would have laughed at how fifteen years later, and they were still the same. Danny and Ward getting heated over something that had been done or said and Joy stepping in the middle to keep them from throwing punches at each other. "Let's all calm down, yeah?" She looked between them, before continuing. "Look, I don't know who you are, but I think it's best if you just leave."

Danny reacted the moment she put her hand on his shoulder and hit it off of him,"I don't want to leave!"

Joy had held her hand to her chest, her eyes wide, and the fear was back as she backed away again. She was scared of what he would do next and shrunk and cowered slightly, when he started walking towards her, apologizing. He shouldn't have been surprised when Ward jumped into the middle and grabbed his wrist in a rapid move that even impressed him.

"I...I didn't mean...to..."

Ward backed them up, which would have been hot had Ward not looked so pissed off and heated. But he put distance between him and Joy, that protective 'no one touches my sister without her consent and lives to tell about it' streak coming in full force. It was good to know that what Danny had always loved about Ward was still at the core of Ward's personality. He could easily break free now, beat Ward up and run off. Ward, for all his scary stalwart guardian self, Danny doubted he actually had any formal training in martial arts. He wouldn't be able to protect Joy or himself from someone who really knew how to fight. It was still an attractive quality however, and Danny didn't want to hurt either one of them, not on purpose, so he found his center and kept himself from lashing out.

"This is your last chance."

"Ward-" Joy started, but the sound of the security guards, as well as guns being drawn caught all their attentions.

"About time." Ward finally spoke.

"Ward-" Danny tried fruitlessly. Though after slapping Joy's hand away, no matter how involuntary, he knew he had permanently fucked up with Ward. Joy, however, was more emotional, and he had developed a better bond with Joy in their childhood. If he could get through to anyone, he could get to her. He was sure once he did, she'd be willing to offer Rand's resources to help him, he just had to be more diplomatic.

"The cops are on their way." One of the security guards had said. "We're here to escort you out of the building and the cops will take it from there."

"Shit." Ward spoke. "He'll just be out again in a few hours." But it was out of his hands now. So he nodded his head and allowed the men to grab Danny and they roughed him up, pushing him towards the elevator, pushing him when he struggled or resisted.

Danny waited until he got back down to the lobby floor before he took two of the guards out in one move. He bashed the third guy over the head with one of the other's guns. He pocketed the gun kicked at the fourth guy who immediately dropped his gun and then took off at a run. Luckily, he got out of the building before the cops had shown up, but he had heard the sirens in the distance and made a run for it. Once he was far enough away, he turned into a relatively abandoned alley, he wiped the gun down before he tossed it in the nearest trash and then kept walking. He wasn't sure what his next move was going to be, but he had to come up with a better plan then rough up guards, break into the Rand building and demand to speak with whoever was in charge. He was trained to fight, trained to withstand hits, and indoctrinated that fists were the only solution. He didn't think he was dangerous, but clearly the world, his world, was more complicated then what he was raised to believe.

* * *

 

_Gingerly, Ward rubbed the ointment into his cut on his upper arm and then reapplied a new bandage. It didn't look any better, but it wasn't infected; it was the best he could hope for. When he stepped out of the bathroom, Harold was there waiting for him. He grabbed at his son's arm, ignoring the hiss of pain that passed through his lips._

_"How long were you going to fuss about in there?"_

_Ward growled softly, but when he tried to yank his arm free, it only put more force on his cut. "It hurts. Stop." But Harold led him on, pulling at his injured bicep. "You're hurting me!" Ward yelled hotly._

_"Grow up, Ward. I won't be around forever. What are you going to do when I'm gone?"_

_Ward wanted to yell at Harold and tell his dad that he was only eleven. He was still a kid, and didn't need to grow up. However, the moment his father had taken him to his den and beat him with his belt; he had been forced to mature. Harold hadn't just whipped welts into his back that day, he had stolen his childhood from him. He wanted to avoid Harold throwing more glass at him, how he had gotten the cut on his arm the night before, and bit his lip to refrain from slinging any insults at his dad. "I'll fucking rejoice!"_

_Damn him, and his big mouth. He barely had time to check how pissed his father was before he was rammed into the nearest wall. He was released only to get a massive fist in his face. His head bounced back from the force of the punch and he hit the back of it on the wall, knocking all of his energy and fight out of him. He sank down to the floor, giving his father a smaller target, but more importantly, he just didn't have the energy to stand up against any more of Harold's attacks._

_"That hurts, Ward. That really hurts me."_

_Ward's hand was quivering badly when he reached up to touch his pounding head. "Sss-Sorry."_

_He was grabbed and pulled back to his feet. "Now your sister will be home soon and the Rand boy, Danny, will be coming over. You've met him plenty of times before. You were much younger, but I'm sure you remember him. I want you to be on your best behavior." He looked at Ward in disgust. "I mean it, Ward."_

_"Yes, sir." He spat out, with his eyes lowered. He gasped lightly when he felt Harold's hold on him tighten. The front door opening saved Ward from any further punishment at Harold's hands._

_Joy came into the lobby, followed closely by Danny. She looped her arm through his and pulled him along into their apartment. "Don't be shy, Danny. You remember my older brother Ward, and of course my daddy." Her voice had literally brightened with just the mention of Harold._

_Normally, that tone had a way of uplifting everyone in the room, but Ward couldn't get himself to smile, still feeling the throb where Harold had just punched him. Ward raised his eyes to greet Danny and make him feel welcome and their eyes met for the briefest of seconds. Danny broke contact first and ran up to Harold, his shyness a thing of the past. Harold scooped Danny into his arms and they embraced. "Uncle Harold!" Danny beamed, clutching Harold as tightly as he could._

_Ward sighed softly, his eyes and head lowering sadly. Someone else had fallen for Harold's charms, and this made Ward feel more lonely then ever before. Danny reminded him a lot of Joy, but Danny didn't live with them. He could, hopefully, get Danny away from Harold and pop that delusion before he lost Danny to Harold the same way he had lost Joy. When Danny was put back down, he turned to Ward. "Your dad is so awesome!"_

_It was like a verbal slap to his face, and Ward swallowed uneasily. He'd already lost Danny to Harold. "Let's go play a game." Ward spoke, to get off the subject of his father, to deflect how uncomfortable he was, and to at least put distance between Harold and the three of them._

_Joy raced ahead of the boys, excited to do something with her two closest friends. "First one to the terrace gets to pick what game we play!"_

_"Nothing too girly Joy." He shook his head and muttered to Danny,"She's gonna make us play dress up and put make-up on us like we're her life-sized barbie dolls."_

_At first, he thought Danny's mortified expression was due to being part of Joy's warped sense of playtime; but realized it was for him. "Where'd you get that?" Danny asked, his hand raising up to touch the side of Ward's face._

_Ward saw Harold still standing in the distance, staring at them and listening to everything that was being said. His mouth went dry and he kept his eyes on Danny as he responded. "I fell."_

_Danny took this at face value, which hurt Ward more then it should have, considering he needed to be a good liar, and needed to keep it all hidden. "Does it hurt?"_

_Ward flinched away from Danny's inquisitive hand. "Nah, I barely feel it as it is. Didn't even notice-"_

_"It's big...and turning purple." Danny's voice was lost and confused._

_"I promise, Danny. It doesn't hurt."_

_"Okay, Ward. I trust you." He spoke sincerely. Digging the knife into Ward a little further, and Ward felt the guilt stab him, as surely as if he had been stabbed._

_"Come on." Ward said, and they ran off towards the terrace. Ward had been right, of course. Joy stood there with make-up in her hands when they caught up with her. She had made Ward go fetch dresses out of her and their mother's closet, while Danny was volunteered to be her first victim. Ironically, Ward would later use his exposure to make-up to help him cover up the bruises when Harold beat him in a visual place._

* * *

 

Danny ducked behind a run-down building, his pulse beating quickly as the running footsteps approached. He imagined it was Ward's attack dogs chasing him down after he barged his way into Rand Enterprises, or the cops, he had eluded them too. After what he had experienced, done, and seen, he had only one thing left to turn to, to connect to. The Meachum's, and they didn't know who he was and didn't give a shit either. He knew he had expected...something. Recognition, but even Joy looked through him like they hadn't spent their entire childhood together. Ward hadn't changed, at least on the outside, but Danny was willing to bet if Ward had changed it wasn't for the better. He'd gotten thrown out and Danny was sure that on top of the cops being after him, Ward had sent his security force out after him as well.

Hearing them get closer, Danny stepped up on a ledge, jumped up and reached the window sill. He pulled himself up and slid into the open window with relative ease. He got low to the ground, both thankful that it was dark outside and that there was no power inside. Some of his curls were damp with sweat and were plastered to his forehead. He took a chance and glanced out of the window, to the guys below him. There was three of them and they were dressed in dark clothing. They didn't look like they worked for Ward Meachum, but he hadn't really stayed long enough to take a survey of who all was employed under the Meachum's. Danny's eyes widened when all three of them turned to the building he was hiding out in. He quickly ducked and rolled out of the way of the window, but they had noticed him.

All three of them ran and jumped to the window, one at a time, using the same ledge he had. They definitely didn't seem like they worked for Ward. These three seemed to have more coordination then the security guards at the Rand building, but he was too preoccupied to debate it. Concentrating, his fist began to glow and he punched the first man in the center of his chest as soon as he reached the window. He groaned out as he, the window and the wall surrounding the window went flying backwards. He fell to the ground and the splintered pieces of the building rained down on top of him. The shards of glass cut him up and on embedded itself in his neck. The other two weren't deterred and they climbed up the building, the gaping hold in the side made it pretty easy. As soon as they were in the vacant building, the both went after Danny. He blocked each of their blows as they switched on and off, back and forth, until they backed Danny into a dead-end corner.

Danny continued to block blows as he his at his attackers. He got some good hits in, but it had left him open for his other masked assailant to hit him. He was hit hard against his eye, enough to cut the sensitive skin there. Blood dripped down the side of his face, only causing Danny to gain more focus. The constant punching, kicking, blocking, and dodging didn't last long. Danny jumped up between the two connecting walls and using what momentum he had he leaped over his attackers. They weren't going to leave him alone until he or they were dead. It was unfortunate, but if his time away taught him anything it was how to deal with a fight to the death. Survival was the only thing on his mind. One struck him while he was still in the air and he lost his balance.

He stumbled and fell to his hands and knees. Danny was never one to give up and he rolled out of an anticipated attack. Getting back to his feet he caught one of their fists in his grasp and broke a bone in his hand without a seconds thought. He released his grip on the man cussing under his breath at the pain, but it wasn't enough to stop his onslaught. Danny fought with the unharmed attacker, a female, from what he could gather, but with the masks on-it was difficult to know who he was facing.

He got hit and taken down several times, due to his preconceptions that he was facing a girl, and being raised never to hit one. After shouting out in pain, he grabbed the smaller-maybe female assailant and hit their face a few times before he tossed them forcefully into a steel pillar in the center of the room. There was an unmistakable snap and Danny didn't need to check to know the almost definitely a girl attacker was dead. He spun around to face the man favoring his injured hand.

"One left." Danny spoke, his voice low but smooth. Almost frightening in 'a deadly calm before a storm' kind of way. The last guy was no challenge, especially being injured, but Danny didn't underestimate him or his abilities. For being injured, he still put up a hell of a fight. Danny gave him one chance to surrender, but he knew the answer when the man got slowly to his feet and then charged at him. The curly young blonde dodged the man's attack and made a grab for the injured hand when he moved to make a second attack. Applying just enough force, he was able to break his two finger bones until they were protruding from the man's skin.

Then, using the man's roar of misery, Danny drove the man's face down to the cement floor. He smashed his face into the hard floor several times, before he was satisfied that he was dead. Part of the man's head had been caved in, there was a pool of blood that Danny avoided, and his body had ceased twitching as it laid there silent and limp. Danny backed up, wiping the blood from his own cut above his eye, with the back of his hand. He looked between the two bodies, his breathing coming in harsh pants. He wasn't a stranger to killing, and his masters had taught him to use deadly force when necessary, when self defense was a struggle for survival. But he still hated to lose control, maybe Joy and Ward had every right to be scared; he was dangerous.

_Who were they?_ Danny asked himself. Ward had to have sent them. The alternative was too terrible to fathom, but they had seemed so much more organized and their abilities were so much better then anything he's ever faced before. They were worthy adversaries, Danny thought to himself as he looked down at the blood on his hand. He'd have to seek out Ward and confront him. He'd have to find out from the man himself if he had sent those three men to kill him. Ward wouldn't give him a straight answer, Danny knew this, but he had ways to persuade the businessman.

* * *

 

_Ward went through all the cupboards, slamming through them. He didn't want Danny there, didn't want to play with the young boy and didn't want Danny staying for dinner. He especially didn't like the way his baby sister fawned all over him. But Harold had demanded him to go make Danny a snack. Apparently the princely heir to Rand Enterprises was hungry. He scowled as he got the ingredients out to make the curly blonde a sandwich. Just a little snack to hold him over until dinner. Ward fumed at himself as he made the spoiled snot a sandwich. He was nine years old, not an invalid. **But noooo!**_

_Danny still had his mother, who doted on him. He had a loving dad, one that **DIDN'T** abuse him. He didn't have injuries and bruises that he had to constantly cover up. And here he was, sitting in the Meachum livingroom with Harold, playing some game, while fourteen year old Ward had to wait on him and serve him. Danny was living the good life, he had it made. He heard his sister laughing outside on the terrace and Ward's anger cleared. There was peanut butter and jelly all over the counters. He had gotten it on his target: the bread, but he had made a mess of the kitchen. Harold would not appreciate the mess he made. In fact, he could see the argument that would ensue, the shaky movements he would make, and the rushed apologies._

_Ward literally saw in his minds eye that moment where Harold's arguing would turn explosive. He could see and feel the fight that would happen next. It would be heavily one-sided while Ward feverishly tried to block the blows and cower in the corner like a scared puppy. Ward knew his blood would mingle onto the counters right alongside the mess he had made. Then Harold would force him to clean it all up. Without realizing it, Ward had already grabbed paper towels and was cleaning everything he could reach. His father wasn't even in there, but Ward kept his head down as he scrubbed. As if that would erase the scene his vivid imagination had conjured up. He threw away the dirtied towels, made sure the counter was spotless, finished up the sandwich for Danny and then left the kitchen how he found it. What he saw in the livingroom made his blood run cold._

_Danny had the game console on, though which console and what game was not something Ward had processed. Sitting on Harold's lap was Danny as he button mashed his controller. Harold had one hand wrapped around Danny's waist with his hand possessively stroking his thigh. Harold's other hand was stroking Danny's hair, moving steadily south. Danny was completely unaware of what Harold was doing or he was too young and trusting to be aware of the danger he was in. Danny must have accomplished some goal in his game, because he squirmed happily in Harold's lap. Ward saw Harold's eyes briefly close and his lips parted._

_"Uncle Harold! Uncle Harold, did you see?!"_

_His voice was hushed and rough with desire. "Yeah Danny. I did. You did a great job." His hand was now rubbing at Danny's lower back._

_He's nine years old! That was the only thought in Wards head. He remembered that same predatory look in Harold's eyes directed at him and once at Joy. He wasn't a protector, that wasn't his nature. He protected Joy as best as he could, because it was the only thing that kept him sane during his own abuse. Bullying was the only other thing that made him feel like he had any control over his life and over his own anger. Still, he couldn't stand by and let Harold do whatever he wanted to Danny. The blonde boy didn't deserve that. He also couldn't outright tell Harold to stop. Any tactic he could think of was going to make him look like an asshole and would enrage Harold. No matter how he sliced it, he was going to get a sound beating from Harold, for taking Danny away from him._

_Turning around and pretending he never saw a thing didn't even cross his mind. Tearing the top slice of bread from the sandwich, he interrupted his father's sick advances by throwing it at Danny's head. He hit dead on and a smear of Jelly was streaked in his curls. The peanut butter acted like glue, keeping the bread stuck to the side of his head. He had grunted in surprise when something had smacked into his head. But after his hand came back covered in peanut butter and squashed bread, he shrieked._

_"I leave, to do you a favor by the way, and you take over my livingroom?"_

_Harold had his hand's in Danny's hair, under the guise of cleaning him,"Danny is our guest and he's family, Ward."_

_Ward glowered at Harold, though Danny thought that look was directed at him. Danny got off the couch, turning glistening blue eyes at Ward,"Uncle Harold-"_

_"Don't go crying to my father!" Danny barely kept the tears from falling as he wiped the stickiness off of his hand. "I hate you Danny, and I don't want you staying for dinner!"_

_**Go Danny** , Ward thought, **stay as far away from Harold as you can.**_

_"I hate you too! You're a jerk and a bully!"_

_"Are, are you going to cry? Well why don't you go tattle on my sister outside?"_

_"Danny." Harold spoke, as he got up and moved to be near the young boy. "Ward will be punished." His eyes snapped to Ward._

_"Good." Danny shakily replied. His first steps were stiff, but he finally fled from the livingroom, when he felt the first tear begin to slip out of the corner of his eye._

_Harold was quick, but not quick enough to stop Danny. Plus Ward still stood in his way. "Don't run off too far. You are staying for dinner, Danny!" Harold bellowed._

_His eyes became like lasers focused on his son. Before his anger could bubble to the surface, Ward beat him to the punch, literally. His voice was raised, something else he normally didn't do to Harold. He wasn't suicidal, but his brain had taken a temporary leave of sanity and his body rebelled against the norm. He punched his father as hard as he could and yelled out loudly,"He's only nine years old!" Harold got knocked back by the punch, surprise written all over his face. He grabbed Ward's fist in his strong grip when Ward lunged to punch him again. "What's wrong with you?" Hollered Ward._

_However, he screamed out in pure agony when Harold applied pressure on his arm until they both heard the snap of Ward's wrist bone. When he let go of his son, Ward shielded his broken wrist and cried out again in pain. The tears stung his eyes, clouded his vision, until he finally fell to the ground. He was still doing his best to protect his wrist, but he started kicking at Harold when his father made a grab for his ankles, trying to turn him onto his stomach. Ward really began to stress out when he saw his father's hands undoing his belt. He flashed back to the first time his father ever hit him and his back began to throb at the memory._

_He was mumbling in his panic, his breath rapid and he scrambled to his feet, his wrist curled protectively around his belly. His father was agile and managed to catch his belt into Ward's gasping open mouth. He pulled the belt around his head and effectively tied it off. He was gagged; any noises he made would be stifled. Harold grabbed at his free hand before he pushed Ward back down onto the floor. "I can either strap this down." He squeezed Ward's good wrist hard enough to be threatening,"Or I'll break this one too."_

_Ward stilled, despite everything in his body screaming at him to fight, to run, to hide. He had a feeling that this was only the beginning and Harold had something worse planned. Ward knew he'd get punished, knew there'd be consequences for ruining Harold's fun, but he didn't think he was prepared for it. "No, dad." Ward sobbed against his gag, though the words were hard to hear._

_Harold pulled his injured arm behind him and proceeded to restrain him. Ward felt the wire from Danny's abandoned controller get tied around both of his wrists. His broken wrist sparked with renewed pain as well as discomfort. Every move he made jarred his broken wrist and caused him to yell against the leather belt. This was probably all part of Harold's insidious plan anyway. His dad was rich enough to have any of his bones mended without being a problem and had a big enough reputation that no one would question if he was abusing son. He was untouchable._

_He cried around his gag, when the rubber wire scraped against his broken wrist. He felt Harold's hand in his hair. Ward wasn't sure if it was meant to soothe him, but it had the opposite effect and Ward shouted in disgust. "Shut up, unless you want to attract Danny and Joy."_

_Harold fondled Ward's ass cheeks through his clothes. Then he hooked his fingers underneath his pants and pulled them down to his sons ankles in a few easy strokes. Ward's eyes went wide at the implication. **No. No, his dad was dangerous and evil, but he wouldn't do this. Not to his underage son.** However, if that had been what he planned to do to Danny. Ward's eyes narrowed, better he take it, then Danny or Joy. Both of which were too young to have to go through this. Still, his first reaction was to scream again, and he did. He couldn't crawl away and his panic was at an all time high. Attracting Joy and Danny was at his low list of priorities._

_"Better yet." Harold spoke clearly into Ward's ear, leaning over his half-naked body. "Scream for me. Scream out as deafening as you can. I want you to scream loud enough for Danny and Joy to hear. Let them see you on the floor, naked. Do you really want Joy to see you...us this way? You could be responsible for breaking your sister's heart and scarring her for life. And little Danny boy. After the way you just treated him, I wonder if he'd use this to get back at you, personally or at school."_

_Ward didn't know how Danny would react. However, Harold had hit him pretty hard in mentioning Joy and he lowered his head. He bit into the belt; grinding his teeth on the leather to help him control his outbursts. Ward knew exactly how Joy would react. He couldn't hurt his sister. The sounds he had been making had quieted down, but when he felt Harold pull his ass cheeks apart, Ward involuntarily tensed up. He squeezed his eyes shut to the groping that was to come. Somehow he'd get through this. Maybe if he kept his mind on anything else. He ground down hard around the belt when a finger circled his tight pucker._

**_Not there! His father...couldn't. No._ **

_"Are you a virgin here?" It brought Ward back and kept him from thinking of something else._

_Ward grunted in surprise when he heard Harold spit and felt the saliva land on his hole. Harold chuckled darkly as he admired the view. He had desired Ward for eight years. He had fought it and ignored it; he knew how wrong it was, but he couldn't go against the impulse any longer. It was partly why he had given in to his urges and started touching Danny. He had been angry with Ward for scaring Danny away, but that anger had quickly been replaced by lust and he was insatiable._

_"You're still a virgin." Harold spoke. Not in reference to anything specific. He had realized that Ward had no experience with sex at all. "I'll be your first, and you'll never forget this. This'll be burned into your mind for the rest of your life."_

_Tears began pouring down his cheeks, and drool leaked out of his open mouth, dripping down passed his chin. One of Harold's hands clamped around his gagged mouth and he was pressed harder into the floor. In one devastating move, Harold's rock hard cock penetrated his body. Ward hadn't known it at the time, as he only remembered the tremendous amount pain. However, Ward had been torn badly and the blood that coated Harold's cock had lubed Ward's passage._

_It did surprisingly little to ease Ward's suffering. His body was too tense and the invasion only caused him to scream and sob behind Harold's hand. He instinctually struggled against his restraints, causing more damage to his wrist. Harold's voice was echoing in his ears, his lips were on his neck and he moved in and out of him like it was his right. As though he had ownership over his body._

_"Have you even seen a naked girl?" His father taunted him. Ward swallowed after another hoarse scream. "Or are you into boys? Got a crush on Danny, do you?" Harold laughed. "Pretty sure he'll always hate you."_

_Despite everything, all the pain and humiliation, Harold's words still cut the deepest. Instead of focusing on Danny, his adolescent mind had gone to Denise, a girl from school that he liked. The last time he had seen her, they had been kissing pretty heavily. He had stopped her from taking off his shirt, too uneasy and unready for the questions she'd have over his scars and bruises. But that didn't stop her from giving him a sneak peek. Ward felt the odd stirring of arousal, just thinking about Denise's breasts. With his body starting to respond, Ward shook his head violently._

_"No?" Harold's voice was low as he continued to thrust in and violate his son. "You don't have a crush on Danny? Or is it you've never seen a naked girl before?" Harold pulled out and then slammed back in, moaning out when more tears slipped out of Ward's eyes. "Or, do you want me to stop talking about naked girls? Are you getting turned on, Ward?"_

_Ward shuddered in response, fueling Harold's laughter. His free hand had moved around his waist to see if Ward really was getting hard. "Of course you are. You're a hormonal teenager. You'll get hard to almost anything."_

_Ward screamed, his veins in his neck popping out, more saliva dribbled out of his mouth, and he yanked real hard against the wire. His broken wrist snapped and he roared out as the pain traveled up his arm and spread out like a burning fire. It overwhelmed him as his vision grayed out until he welcomed the darkness and his body went slack in Harold's hands._

_Ward woke up sometime later, the crushing waves of pain, the same that forced him out of consciousness, was the same pain that pulled him back to reality. He noticed he was still bound, gagged and completely naked. Sure his ass was sore, but it didn't compare to the agonizing throb coming from his tied down wrist. He knew his ass and the backs of his thighs were dirty, from blood-and he hoped that was it; it was his injured wrist that kept him from thinking about anything else. When he noticed he was trapped in his father's soundproofed den, he began to weep. The smell of the dinner wafted into the room and Ward suspected he still had to suffer and deal with more punishment sometime after dinner. He hung his head and cried silently, when he realized that Joy and Danny were left unsupervised, alone, with that monster. After everything, he had still **failed** to protect them._

 

_He wasn't a protector, and never would be. He'd be what he always was: **A Failure**._


	9. Verum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the normal dark ratings apply; you know what story you're reading, right? XD
> 
> Also, I would like to apologize for taking so long to update this story. I just learned a few weeks ago my father's health has declined rapidly and he doesn't have much time left. So a lot of my muse has jumped ship, and my emotional stress has given me a harder time in actually writing/posting; anything creative has taken a backseat. I have recently gotten my creative juices back, but when the worst happens, I will probably disappear once again, and this story (as well as all my other stories, and any other creative venue I have) will not be updated for a couple months. I will not abandon this story, so please be patient with me.
> 
> Otherwise, Enjoy!

Danny kept to the shadows as he waited for the opportunity to get Ward alone. If Ward had been responsible for sending those fighters after him, he knew their might be more laying in wait. Thinking he was walking into a trap was ever present on his mind, but he stayed in the car garage for hours and there had been nothing and no one to worry about. It wasn't looking promising, but Danny still needed to rule Ward out. He inwardly sighed, it would be so much easier if Ward was the perpetrator.

A familiar face popped into his vision, just as a silver Mercedes Benz drove by. He watched Ward, how he carried himself and how he walked. He got everything he ever wanted-Danny could tell by the confident strides and the smug air that surrounded the brunette. He got everything that was meant to be his and Danny was going to pop Ward's bubble. Once the valet parked the car and climbed out, Danny took off at a run. He made it into the open driver's seat before any of the men knew what had hit them.

"Hey. HEY!" Ward yelled, quickly sliding into the passengers seat. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Ward was predictable. He wasn't going to let anyone steal his car and was willing to jump into the car with a stranger, if it meant keeping an eye on it. Not that Danny blamed him, it was a really nice car. Danny hit the gas and Ward, out of habit had closed his side of the car. As soon as he had hit the gas and zoomed forward up the car garage, Ward instinctively reached out. One hand grabbed the side of the passenger car door, and the other gripped Danny's thigh. His blue eyes quickly looked down and then over at Ward, realizing that Ward wasn't even aware of the contact. It was difficult to imagine he had sent assassins after him, but no one else knew he was in New York, and the more Danny thought about it, the more Ward became his only logical option.

"Sorry." Danny did speak sincerely. Hoping to ease Ward's fear. "I uh, haven't driven since my dad put me on his lap and let me drive around our place in the Hampton's." Danny almost slapped himself, knowing that his apology would do the opposite of what it was intended.

Ward moved both of his hands to the dashboard, briefly considering whether or not he should put his seat-belt on. "Stop the car now." Ward's voice came out shaky with fear but was still stern. His businessman mentality and his upbringing from Harold's constant fists, almost had Ward asking politely, almost pleading to Danny. Instead, he found what strength he could, and repeated himself, in a more even tone. "I said, stop the car now."

"Ward. I just need to talk, I need to know-"

"Pull over now." Ward cut Danny off, his hand around the gun he kept stashed in his glove compartment, that he now aimed at the stranger's head.

"Put the gun away."

Ward turned the safety off, and placed his finger on the trigger. He had warned him not to tell him what to do. He wasn't having anyone else use him the way Harold did. And he wasn't going to let him make off with his car. True, he could afford a new one, assuming his father let him have his money to get one, but this was his car. He wasn't going to let some homeless man with balls of steel, steal his precious Mercedes. "Don't think for a moment I'm putting the gun away. A deranged homeless man, trying to steal my car? No this gun stays out."

Danny sighed in frustration. He didn't point out that there was really no where he could go. He was driving up, and if he turned around and started driving down, all the people he drove away from, Ward's security, they'd end up stopping him from getting to the exit of the garage. But Ward's hostility and the gun pointed at his head gave Danny all the evidence he needed over who had been responsible for sending those assassins after him. "So it was you. You were the one that sent them after me. You want me to die that badly?"

"What are you talking about?" Ward narrowed his eyes. He couldn't fall into this man's trap or his delusions. "So you're insane and paranoid. I had my suspicions, but you've confirmed them."

"Did you or did you not send three people to kill me?!"

"Tell your insane story to the police. Keep telling it, and if I'm lucky they'll send you to a nuthouse where you belong, instead of releasing you back on the streets."

The brakes were slammed on, the car lurched to a hard stop, but while both occupants lurched with the sudden jerk of the car, Ward was steadfast in his aim and didn't let up. Now was the perfect opportunity. The car was stopped, if he shot the man now, killed him, they wouldn't crash into the wall or one of the pillars. Ward's finger was on the trigger, but he couldn't pull it. As bad as things got at home, and as much as he had to deal with over the course of his entire life, he still couldn't pull the trigger. He could hear the voice of his father, urging him on, and berating him for not being a man when it was obvious it wasn't going to shoot. In one slick move Danny grabbed the gun away from him and before Ward knew it, he was staring down the barrel of his own pistol and it terrified him.

He risked a glance at Danny and saw genuine rage there. He swallowed uneasily, wondering if he was about to die. He'd come close to facing his own death a few days ago with his own father, and now he was being held at gunpoint by the man who had broken into his facility like it was a game and was now stealing his car. Why? To prove some sick point? He also realized at that moment, that despite his shitty life, he wasn't ready to die yet. Ward shrunk as Danny moved the gun closer to his head, and couldn't stop a since of all the previous times he shrunk in fear of his father. Ward didn't want to die that way, giving his father more power over him, by having his last thoughts being afraid of that monster, but ultimately he had no control over his life and it seemed the same was true for his death.

"How does it feel, Ward?" Danny sneered, his own finger along the trigger. "Having your power stripped away, your voice? I've been met with nothing but hostility since I've been home, and I'm sick of it! You've had everything handed to you on a silver platter while I've had everything that meant something to me taken away. You don't know what I've endured, what I've had to go through. You know nothing of suffering, in your cushy office and expensive comfortable apartment."

Jack had made similar assumptions and for the briefest of moments, Ward wondered if this man was somehow affiliated with Jack and knew what he and Harold had done to him. If this was some sort of payback for Harold's sick justice. He felt himself start to feel trapped, enclosed and he looked away from the curly blonde, looked away in order to avoid a panic attack. Harold would be so disappointed knowing his son didn't face death, but chose to have a panic attack and whimper like a baby. His heartbeat sky-rocketed and he panted heavily when he felt the gun pressed into the side of his head.

"Now that I've got your attention, tell me the truth! Did you hire those assassins?"

Ward spoke through clenched teeth, unable to stop his voice from expressing the terror he felt. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

It wasn't the answer Danny wanted, but he was inclined to believe Ward. "BANG!" He yelled, as he tossed the gun to the backseat. Ward had squinted his eyes shut and had flung his arm up to his face, though it would have been far too late, but it was an involuntary action, as he gasped for breath. His breathing started to slow, relief flooding him, but his heart still beat wildly in his chest and didn't feel like it was going to slow down anytime soon.

Danny's anger cleared up almost immediately when he caught the red welts along Ward's wrists, when he had flailed to protect himself. His long sleeves had been pulled up slightly on his arm and had revealed the ligature marks along his wrist. Danny was willing to bet the same marks were on his other wrist, and possibly around his ankles. He had heard Joy talk about how Ward had been mugged, but this was something different and he knew it. A mugging was usually a quick grab and go, if there was a struggle it was still a swift beating or a gunshot. A mugger didn't capture you and tie you down.

"You will never get a penny-"

"Ward." Danny didn't care about money, or Rand's resources. Well he did, but not at that moment. He saw something sinister in those simple red welts, and he could almost feel Ward's spirit crying out for help. He felt it was his duty as the Iron Fist, the Living Weapon, the Defender of K'un-Lun to help those who needed help. And his soul could see something dark and insidious wrapped around Ward's wrist and he needed to address it. He needed to know what was going on, what had happened. "Did your mugger tie you down or did someone else do that? Does Joy know what really happened?" Danny's voice was full of concern as he went to touch Ward's wrist.

Ward hissed in pain and drew his wrist close to his body. "You don't know what you're talking about, and don't ever touch me again."

"Ward, stop avoiding the issue." Danny reached out and grabbed at Ward's shoulder, but a shout of pain caused him to reel his hand away and he gazed at Ward with huge eyes. Just how badly had he been attacked? What was really going on? Danny wanted to ask if The Hand had anything to do with what Ward went through, and he wondered if it was connected to the three that had tried to kill him. But he suspected Ward wasn't going to be in the mood to talk, in fact from the looks of it, he had shut down completely. "I want answers." He tried once more.

Ward was still cradling his wrist, and he was subconsciously trying to protect not just his shoulder but his entire left side from Danny and Danny couldn't stop his imagination from picturing some vile member of The Hand holding Ward prisoner for access into the company or for money or resources that Rand Enterprises could give them. It made him wonder if he was any better for breaking into the building, stealing Ward's car and threatening Ward's life.

"Go to hell."

Danny frowned, but tried a different tactic. He hoped if Ward got onto a change of topic, it would relax him, and Danny could get to what he really wanted to learn. "Then tell me what happened to me. You know about Danny Rand, what happened. Tell me what you know. That's it. I'll leave you alone after you tell me what you know."

Ward was still holding his arm and practically self hugging himself, but he glared at Danny. "You'll leave this car, walk out of my life and leave me alone?"

"Yes. I promise."

He sighed,"Alright. Wendall Rand, his wife Heather, and their son Danny Rand died in a plane crash over the Himalayas. Their plane was never found and their bodies were never found."

Danny's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "That's it? You have to know more." He did genuinely want to know more about his parents, but he knew if he provoked Ward it would help get him to open up once more.

"I was fifteen when they died! Why do you think I would know anything more? Why do you even care? You're not Danny Rand."

Danny leaned over,"I am Danny! Ward..." Danny tried to think of some way to convince Ward. All the immediate memories he had when they were kids, were all of Ward being a dick to him. He knew there were good memories there too, but it was a moment where he had to really think on the fly and only the bad ones were coming to the surface. He started the car once more, upset that he couldn't think of a memory that might spark recognition in Ward. Most of their time growing up had been under the media's scrutiny, so virtually anyone could try and con the Meachum's by claiming to be him. Did they deal with con-men a lot? Danny didn't know.

He sped the car up, doing a climb up the garage again, as he spoke. "You're such a dick. You've always been a dick Ward. You bullied me throughout school and you haven't changed at all."

Ward was half listening, but he was more concerned over how fast they were going and was putting death back on the table. Especially when they reached the top of the garage, without stopping or slowing down. They were headed towards the edge and it seemed like they were going to drive through the rails and plunge to the street below. "Stop." Ward spoke. "Stop the car." It was too much. He was only thirty, and in less then a week he was contemplating for the third time if he was about to die. It was too much.

"Stop the car!" He yelled, but Danny seemed to be in his own world, seeing nothing out in front of them, hearing none of his shouts. Perhaps facing his own demons, but Ward didn't want to be a victim of someone else's demons, he had enough to deal with on his own. "DANNY!" He screamed in fright as the rail got closer.

A memory flooded Danny's mind, one that bled through the horrifying memory of the plane crash, to the last time he had heard Ward scream his name. It was a tiny memory, just of him, Ward and Joy walking to the closest ice cream shop.

_He and Joy had been talking and joking, they were both nine, and were being watched over by a fourteen year old Ward, one who wasn't pleased to be on babysitting duty. But Joy had been pulled aside and was getting lectured by Ward, while he had crossed the street to get to the shop. He was young, spoiled and hungry. He hadn't seen the car flying at him until it was too late, but he had heard Ward scream out his name, afraid for his safety. Ward had barreled into him and tackled him to the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. Their hands were locked together and Ward, for that split second looked so concerned for him. Like he hadn't wanted to lose him. It made Danny wonder, truly, why Ward did pick on him and did bully him, when in that moment it was so clear to him that Ward at least cared for him. If nothing else then as a friend, or as an older brother._

_"Don't scare me like that Danny." The rush of emotions, the adrenaline and the epiphany had caused Danny to lean up to Ward who had still been protectively on top of him, his lips mere centimeters from Ward's lips when Ward pulled away. "What the hell are you doing? We're practically brothers. Besides, I think Joy thinks you two are soulmates."_

_"You saved me Ward."_

_Ward chuckled dryly. "I didn't do it for you, I did it for Joy." He had gotten off of Danny then and Danny would have been upset by the re-emergence of asshole Ward if it weren't for the fact that Ward continued to hold his hand. They had gone back across the street to get Joy and then walked across the street together. They ordered ice cream and sat down to eat their ice cream. And under that table he and Ward were still holding hands. His words and his insults meant nothing when Ward's actions were telling Danny something different._

Instantly, he snapped out of his memories and saw the rail they were about to go careening over. He turned the car and slammed on the brakes. The passenger side of the car bumped into the railing, but all in all it could have been much worse. Danny put the car in park so he wouldn't ram into anything else and then faced Ward who looked about ready to give up.

"Please leave me alone." Ward spoke so softly.

Danny shook his head. "No. When I was nine, you saved me. I had run out into the middle of the road and you ran out and pulled me out of the road. You saved me Ward. You held my hand, I embarrassed myself by trying to kiss you." He leaned over and felt bad that he was nearly forcing this on Ward, seeing how Ward was trapped in there with him. Before their lips touched, Ward pulled away. So Danny grabbed Ward's hand, and tried to get him to face the memory.

"None of that is true." Ward denied.

But Danny wasn't going to give up that easily. "You saved me Ward. This is the same hand you held. You held my hand for so long. We held hands under the booth while we ate ice cream together. Remember! You saved me!"

Ward flinched at the tone, but swallowed down a lump in his throat. "I...I didn't do it for you." A tear formed in the corner of Ward's eye and Danny felt some relief, like he'd been vindicated. "Danny?"

Danny gripped his hand tighter. "Yes."

"Danny's dead. I was at his funeral. He's-"

"I survived Ward." Danny continued to hold Ward's hand, tallying a point in his favor since Ward had yet to pull away. In fact, Ward seemed almost calmer now that they were holding hands. He tenderly rubbed the top of Ward's hand with his thumb as he discreetly checked the marks on his wrist. He noticed a tear fall down Ward's face and he carefully wiped it away with his free hand. "Ward, I can help you."

Ward barked out a bitter laugh. "No you can't. Danny...if it's really you. You shouldn't have come back."

Danny wasn't sure if that was a threat or if he was masking his concern for him by making a threat. "I can handle myself." He replied ominously. "Now answer me this. Who did this to you? And did they hurt you?" He knew they had, considering how badly Ward had yelled when he grabbed his shoulder, but he didn't want to push it. Before he could get an answer, however, another voice sounded outside the car.

"Sir, you need to hold up both hands and step out of the car slowly."

Both Ward and Danny whipped their heads to the new voice and saw a few police officers surrounding Danny's side of the car with their guns raised. Danny's first instinct was of course to fight, but these were law abiding officers just doing their job, he had stirred the pot enough for beating up Ward's poor security force. He let go of Ward's hand, and obeyed the officers. Rolling the window down, he showed his hands and then opened his door from the outside as he slowly stepped out. Once he was completely on the ground, they swarmed him and placed handcuffs on him. Ward shakily got out of the car as well as he watched the scene unfold before him. It felt surreal, and Ward needed the man out of the way. Danny was too close, even if it wasn't Danny Rand-though he was almost sure it was, he could see through Ward's bullshit. It wouldn't be long before he found out Harold was still alive and that Harold was the one hurting him. He had to protect Joy and now it seemed the only way to do that was to protect 'Danny' as well by keeping him as far away from Harold and Rand Enterprises as he could.

"This man is insane. You need to lock him up, perform some sort of psych evaluation, and then send him away."

Danny felt betrayed as his eyes narrowed in Ward's direction. "You asshole."

"That's not up to us to decide. We're responding to a tip. This is the man that broke into your company earlier, is it not?"

"He did."

"He's being arrested for that and we're taking him down to the 52nd Precinct for processing." The police officer moved passed Ward and two others escorted Danny to one of their parked cars and helped him into the backseat.

Shit. Ward thought as he watched Danny their eyes locked on each other, as the cop car pulled away. He needed a better way to keep the curly blonde out of his and Joy's life, and Ward didn't think it'd be easy.

* * *

 

A long wooden staff twirled through the air, only to come down hard on the padded dummy in the center of the room. The woman wielding the practice sword was a petite Asian woman with long dark hair-that was pulled back into a ponytail. She yelled out in fury as she brought the sword down on her target rapidly. A succession of hits and thrusts brought a sheen of sweat to her skin and her face was flushed, but she didn't give up. She'd never admit she was tired either, because that would be just as bad as admitting defeat. A ringtone cut through her swordplay and she picked up her phone from the side bench where it had previously been. The caller ID on the phone said Bakuto, and her expression broke out into one of joy. She accepted the call quickly.

"Sensai!" Colleen spoke fondly. She had placed her practice sword away as she listened to her old friend and mentor speak. "Yeah, I was just at the park a couple of hours ago."

There was a pause, and her eyebrows slowly knitted together in confusion. "Yeah, I ran into a guy like that. He seemed harmless, why?" She nodded her head mutely and finally agreed. "Yeah, of course I can."

They said their goodbyes to each other, and Colleen set her phone into her boombox, after she selected the playlist she wanted to listen to. She cracked her neck and then stretched her arms as she got ready to practice hand to hand combat as well as a line-up of other moves. As soon as she hit the play button, a lout hip hop beat turned on and she spun around to face the dummy.

* * *

 

Ward sat in Harold's big chair as he watched his father closely. He had agreed to help his father control his urges, because he wanted his father back; his real father. Whoever that was. He could barely remember a time where his father was actually nice to him. But Ward still had to try, as much as it pained him Harold was his closest family. Joy was perfect, but had been left in in the dark about him and about their father since he was eight. They'd been growing apart since they were kids and the gap between them was too great to overcome. If it ever did get out, he knew Joy would be out of his life, forever. It was melodramatic, he knew, but it was a fear he lived with constantly. After Harold had poured himself a glass of whiskey and a glass for his son, he joined Ward in the livingroom. He noticed his son's somber face and resisted touching him. Instead, he set the glass down on the table in front of Ward and then sat down on the couch nearby his son.

"Ward, you're a million miles away." Brown eyes glanced in his direction. "What are you thinking about?"

 

_**I'm thinking about how I'm trying to help you, and trying to save you, but I'm afraid I'm setting myself up for disappointment. I'm afraid that you're right and that I'm just a glutton for punishment. That somehow I can't live without you or your abuse.**_  

 

Ward said none of the things on his mind, and gave a simple shrug of his shoulders. "It's been a long day."

Harold took that in stride, disliking the tension and 'walking on eggshells' that have replaced his complicated relationship to his son. He waited until Ward picked up his glass and took a swig, before he spoke. "Busy day at work?"

Just by Harold's tone of voice, Ward knew immediately that Harold knew about the psychotic possible Danny Rand hobo. Ward glanced to his drink and took another swig. He wondered if Harold knew the man tried to steal his son's car and also threatened him with a gun. Chances were good that Harold didn't know more then the attempted theft of Ward's car. Last time someone had threatened his life by attacking him in his apartment, he wound up under Harold's sick and twisted justice. "You know." Was all Ward said.

Harold nodded,"Of course I do. Someone who breaches security in my building is not something I'm going to ignore."

Ward swirled his glass, growing increasingly interested in the contents of said glass. "You're only interested in this guy, because he obsessively wanted to talk to you."

Harold smirked, but didn't confirm or deny that. "Well, did you talk with him, son?"

Ward set his glass down. "Why would I do that? This guy is obviously crazy and needs help. Talking to him would only play into this man's delusions. I don't know this guy, and I don't owe him a damn thing." He took a breath, but he was far too much on a roll to stop there. "What's more likely is this guy was sent by one of our competitor's to shake things up and spy on us. Talking to him would be admitting vulnerability and weakness in our company."

Harold was still drinking his whiskey like everything was normal. "I want you to talk to him Ward. Find out if he knows anything."

"Dad, you told me that I need to make the company strong and tough. To treat any breach and unknown entity with caution. This man is a clear and present-" He wasn't prepared for it and he should have been.

Harold had thrown his glass at Ward. It had missed hitting him, barely, but the leftover whiskey mostly got in his hair, dripped down his face and was on his shirt. This had rendered Ward speechless. He knew that Harold wasn't going to be able to quit his actions cold turkey and that there were going to be setbacks, but knowing and rationalizing that in his mind as opposed to seeing the reality; it was tough for Ward. It made him wonder if he could actually do it, help his father.

"I also taught you to listen to me. You don't have the same business sense as I and Joy do. You will do what I tell you, if you don't want to run Rand Enterprises into the ground." During his speech, Harold had closed the distance between them and had grabbed a fistful of Ward's hair. Ward winced as his head was yanked backwards.

"Dad-"

"You will talk to this kid claiming to be Danny Rand. Listen to what he has to say, he might know something interesting or valuable. Find out what he wants from me."

Ward hissed in pain and flinched when Harold ran a finger down the side of his face. He, not surprisingly thought his dad was going to lash out and strike him again. "He's in jail. I can't go talk to him."

"Jail." Harold rolled his eyes as he let go of his painful hold on Ward's scalp. Ward resisted reaching up and rubbing at his sore head as Harold continued his train of thought. "We both know that's a joke. He'll be out of there in a few hours. When he gets out, I want you to pick him up and talk with him."

"I could just ignore you." Ward practically spat in his father's face, and he was more then a little tempted. The finger was still on his cheek and the palm of his hand still cradled the side of his head. It mocked him, showed him how things could have been, while reminding him how things currently were between them. "And there wouldn't be a thing you could do about it." Regret was instantaneous. There was a lot he Harold could do in retaliation.

"Sometimes, you still sound like you're an eight year old."

Ward went slack under Harold's hand, and Harold easily pulled him out of the seat and held him.

 

_"Dad...please." Another scream passed his lips as the belt smacked down onto his flesh. He bit into his lip, silencing his shouts, and then covered his mouth with his hand. The feel of the leather cracking down onto his sensitive skin made his eyes burn. Tears watered in his eyes as the belt continued to hit him._

 

Ward snapped out of the memory, only to find Harold's face inches from his. The evil he saw there was unmistakable and Ward trembled at Harold's touch. Harold's fingers ran along Ward's lips and Ward held his tongue. "I expected more of you Ward. After everything we've been through recently, and you still think acting out like a child is going to get you anywhere?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Dad." Ward backed up, but Harold went with him, and didn't let up. In fact, his touch grew more severe and Ward felt his panic spike. His body was one giant throb of pain, and he couldn't take anymore. Ward actually hoped Harold would abuse him sexually, at that moment in time he was certain he could handle the emotional fallout more then if Harold decided to beat on him. He winced when Harold's hand wound up around his neck. He didn't press into it, and cut off his air, but those fingers did drag across his raw skin on his neck.

"You'll do as I say then?"

Ward opened his mouth, hating that Harold took that as invitation to invade it was his fingers, but he still spoke. "Yeah. I'll talk with him, find out his story as soon as he's out of prison." He closed his eyes in disgust when Harold's wet fingers ran back across his face.

Harold leaned in closer,"I can't stop this Ward. I can't."

Ward fought the tears, and admitted that his father at least seemed emotionally distraught. But Ward didn't know if it was genuine or if his dad was just putting on an act, to keep him docile and keep him running back to his father's embrace, no matter how many times he was hurt by the man. Ward felt the tears behind his eyes as Harold smashed their lips together once more. Unfortunately, it was better and easier to accept then the physical pain and didn't put up a fight. He hated everything about the way Harold held him in place, to the vile tongue swimming around in his mouth. When Harold pulled away, Ward stumbled backwards, and put some distance between them. "Don't....Don't ever do that again."

"If you would do as I asked in the first place, I wouldn't have to put you in your place."

Ward stared at him in disbelief. "We're you lying to me? You said you wanted me to help you!"

"Those urges aren't something I can control, Ward. Besides, you haven't done a thing to help me. You've kept your distance and have disobeyed me and have done what you can to get under my skin."

Ward was still trembling, but he finally stood up straight, and looked his father in the eye. "Maybe I don't know how to help you."

Harold nodded mutely, and then sighed. He turned his back on his son and started to walk away.

"But...I can start by talking with this Danny character." Ward amended.

With his back still turned, Harold smirked slowly. "Just leave everything to me. I'll tell you exactly what to do."

Ward sighed defeated, under his breath as he turned to leave the Penthouse. "Like always."

* * *

 

Danny sat with one hand handcuffed to the lone table in the room. He'd seen enough cop movies and shows growing up to know what the inside of an interrogation room looked like. It was far better then being in lockup with the other inmates they had arrested that evening. Some were in their for first offenses or petty reasons like he had been, but there were a few hardcore individuals that Danny did not get along with. He couldn't unleash his full energy as he was trying to respect the law, something he should have done in the beginning, rather then forcing his way to the Meachum's and threatening Ward. But holding himself back, while getting into a fight, which had riled up the others to join said fight had been a mistake. Too many bodies had been involved and he had received a cut lip and a black eye for his trouble.

Something told him Ward was dealing with his own shit, it didn't excuse throwing him under the bus. The next time he saw Ward, he wasn't sure he'd be able to refrain from beating the shit out of him. Ward was probably never going to be his favorite person, but there was that small naive part of him, that still wanted to find out what was going on with the bastard. He blamed that sentimentality on their childhood and his silly childhood crush. The way he was secured in the interrogation room was not enough to hold him, but until he thought of a better way, he wasn't going to escape on his own. There was no reason to anger the authorities further. Besides, after a formal interrogation and charge, chances are he'd be let out. He wasn't sure how the system really worked, but he had remembered Ward mentioning how he'd be let out after a few hours, so if Ward were telling the truth, he only had to wait before he was back out on the streets.

Danny eyed the phone that was in the hallway, remembering the one phone call he had been allowed to make. He had called the only other person he had met in the city, which had been Colleen. He remembered their conversation vividly, and knew she hadn't known who he was.

_"Who is this?"_

_"Danny."_

_"Danny? Danny who?"_

_"Danny, you uh...met me at the park earlier."_

_A pause. "Why are you calling me?"_

_"I'm downtown at the 52nd Precinct. I need your help."_

_"Prison?" Another pause. "Why would you come to me for help?"_

_"You're the only person I know in New York, who doesn't want to kill me, or have me arrested. Please, you've seen me. I may be a little eccentric, but I'm not dangerous. Something is going on and there are people after me, people who want to lock me away."_

_"Why would anyone want to be after you anyway?"_

_"You'll have to ask the Meachum's." He knew that wasn't a total truth, Ward had admitted he didn't know who those three assassins had been, but a part of him still thought that Ward was behind it._

_"Why would one of the richest families in New York have a problem with you?"_

_"They do."_

_"Are you guilty?" When Danny didn't respond right away, Colleen tried again. "You've been arrested, for a reason I presume. Are you guilty of whatever they arrested you for?"_

_Danny sighed. "I haven't done anything wrong."_

_"Look, it sounds like you're in trouble but I just don't think I'm the person who can help."_

_"No, Colleen, you're the only person who can help me. You're the only one I know!" He couldn't turn to the Meachum's, especially after what he had done to Joy and after Ward betrayed him to the police._

_"I'm sorry."_

_"No, Please-"_ _But Colleen had hung up and the connection was lost._

Danny had nothing left but to hope he'd be let out soon. His one phone call had been a bust. He waited and after being subjected to a long wait, which Danny assumed was intentional, another officer joined him in the room. He didn't sit down across from him, like he expected, he kept the door open and then crossed around and tossed the key to the handcuffs down on the table. Danny stared at the key, entertaining the possibility that it was all a trick. The cop seemed to have read his mind.

"No tricks. The initial charges you were facing have been dropped. So you're free to go."

It took Danny another second of contemplation before he trusted it wasn't some unusual police tactic and grabbed the key. He was cautious passing by the officer after he had freed himself, but he made no move to detain him, and Danny walked through the police station freely. Maybe he had gotten through to Colleen after all, or and this was a stretch, but perhaps Joy had a change of heart and was letting him out of jail. Either way, he assumed he wouldn't know who had gotten the Meachum's to drop the charges and knowing no one in the city there was going to be nowhere for Danny to go.

He was in for quite the surprise when he was met by Ward just outside the station. He wore blue denim jeans, a simple black t-shirt with a long sleeve black zip-up hoodie. His dark hair was not slicked back but fell in his face, and made his dark brown orbs even more attractive. Danny wanted to beat him up, this was the man that had betrayed him and tried to get the police to lock him away forever. However, seeing him standing there, melted his ill feelings for the prick in almost an instant. _Why wasn't it illegal to look that delicious? **They were standing in front of a police station for crying out loud** , and Ward wasn't getting arrested!_

Upon closer inspection, which Danny blamed the darkened streets and it being evening that he didn't notice right away, did he see something horrific on an otherwise attractive man. Long red lines around his throat, and it was unmistakable to misinterpret that. Someone had tried strangling him, either with a rope or more likely a wire. Ward began to fidget nervously under his stare. "You just going to stand there like a moron, or are you coming with me? We apparently need to talk." He saw Danny's eyes constantly flick down to his neck and it made him rethink that ridiculous turtleneck. But in the end he felt some awkwardness over that particular injury would be better then being caught and made fun of for wearing a turtleneck.

"If you prefer jail, you can always throw something through the station's windows and wreck one of the police cars, they tend to frown on that. Don't know how long of a sentence you'd get. Guess it depends on how big of a nuisance you are."

Danny didn't comment on the strangulation marks around Ward's neck, but he couldn't flat out ignore them either. He did finally snap out of his stupor and start to move towards Ward. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere discreet, where they won't ask a lot of questions and we'll be left mostly alone to our own privacy." He fished out his keys. "Oh, and I'm driving this time."


	10. Initium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the normal warnings are still in effect. This is a more mellow chapter, mainly just light Ward and Danny angst and language to be on the lookout for. Unbeta-ed, so read at your own risk to horrible, horrible typo's. Otherwise, Enjoy!

The car ride wasn't nearly as eventful as their last one, but it was still just as edgy and awkward. They didn't do a lot of talking, mainly because Danny had kept glancing at Ward's neck, like some puzzle he was trying to piece together. It kept Ward from thinking of anything safe to talk about, and Danny was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to supply an engaging conversation. However, they'd never be able to talk with the metaphorical elephant in the room, so as soon as they reached their destination Ward put the car in park, shut off the engine and turned to face Danny.

"You've been dying to ask since I picked you up from the police station. So why don't you get it out in the open?"

Danny's blue eyes which had been observing the marks once more snapped up to Ward's face when Ward addressed him. There was conflict there that Danny saw and couldn't disregard. It was clear that Ward didn't want to talk about it, but he also saw the fear that Danny wouldn't be able to think of anything else if they didn't talk about it. He needed an wanted to know, it was almost a compulsion, but he didn't want to make Ward uncomfortable either and he knew that Ward wanted to pretend that nothing was wrong. He couldn't explain how he knew that, he just knew Ward would be the most comfortable with that _"out"_.

Danny looked around to see where they were and it took his brain a moment to process what he was gazing at. He wasn't familiar with the establishment, but the bright neon lights, all the men congregated outside and waiting to get in, led Danny to three conclusions. A regular bar and club, a strip club, or a gay bar. Respecting Ward's silent wish, he dropped the subject of his neck injury and cracked a sly smile in Ward's direction. "Is this a date? Did you break me out of jail to take me on a date?"

Ward blinked owlishly. He had not been expecting that question and was ill-prepared to respond to it. He chuckled at Danny once the initial shock wore off. It was a real chuckle, the kind he usually only did around Joy and it surprised him that this stranger, this man who was probably his long dead friend come back to life, could make him feel comfortable and relax him in the same way Joy could. Ward knew if he wasn't careful he'd end up becoming vulnerable to Danny and he didn't want to give the man the power to hurt him. He opened the car door, still laughing. "And here I thought you were going to try and convince me that you weren't delusional."

Danny followed Ward out of the car. "Dick." He spoke, but there was a smile there and Ward knew he hadn't meant it literally.

"Come on." Ward took the lead and they both entered the club without much hassle. Danny had been right, they were at a gay club, and he took in all the sights. Having never been in a gay club before, Danny grew excited over the new experience. He had never considered himself gay, and after training in a monastery where he took a vow of celibacy, labels and sex-all of that didn't hold much meaning for him. Meeting new people and experiencing new things, however, was something that interested him. He was more interested in whether or not Ward was trying to tell him something or if this was one of the few places they could talk in private without the media catching wind of it.

A young African American male approached them and Danny saw some mutual recognition spark between him and Ward. "Welcome back. After what happened with Jack, I wasn't sure you'd come back."

Ward had been in a bad place before he had gotten attacked by Jack, but he recognized this man as the man that had first gone to his defense and helped him leave the club. He shrugged,"Needed a safe and private place. I'm W...Wyatt. This is-"

"Danny." Danny chirped happily.

The other man gazed between them before he smiled,"Brandon."

Anonymity was one of the luxuries of places like bars and clubs, and Brandon suspected that was the real reason "Wyatt" had returned. Brandon grinned at Ward,"So do you mind if I steal your date for a dance?"

Ward sighed and almost replied, childishly, that Danny wasn't his date, but finally shooed Brandon and Danny away. "Go for it. Danny, I'm just going to order us some drinks. I'll be waiting for you at one of the table's in the back."

"Alright." Danny smiled as he was led onto the dance floor. It had been quite a pony ride since he returned to New York, and Danny determined he just needed to take everything in stride. Besides he'd been thrown so much hostility, negativity, and into bad situations that he knew he had to grab hold of the good times while they were presented to him. "I'm going to be honest Brandon, I'm not really a good dancer."

Danny was observing the other men dancing and he didn't think his body could move that way. Brandon grabbed his hand,"I'm an excellent teacher. Just follow my lead."

Once they were on the dance floor, Brandon started moving to the beat, his moves flowed and he danced effortlessly. He smirked slightly when he noticed Danny's more stiff and robotic jerking movements. His hands traveled down his sides to rest on Danny's waist and he started guiding him. Two more tries had finally limbered Danny enough to swing his hips in a flowing nature. It had almost felt like some of the stances and moves he was taught in K'un-Lun, but without weapons and bloodshed; and with a loud pumping beat of music to accompany the steps.

"That's it. You're already doing much better then when you first started. You're a natural."

Danny smiled at the encouragement and compliment as he pulled Brandon in closer and then began to dance together in a more carefree spirit. They moved together in a complimentary way, but as they danced Brandon's eyes found Ward sitting alone at the back table. "If I found out you had anything to do with the marks on Ward's neck and wrists..."

Brandon's voice had become deadly serious in Danny's ear. He left the threat to dangle in the air, and Danny swallowed hard, but didn't stop dancing; mainly because Brandon had not and was still guiding him gently with his hands and body. "I...I didn't...I'm not responsible." Danny stuttered, unprepared for being put on the spot as he was, but he did ask. "How do you know his name is Ward?"

Brandon shrugged as he turned Danny around in his arms, dancing with Danny's back to his front. "While I respect that he wants to slum it with us and remain anonymous. Do you really think I wouldn't recognize Ward Meachum? The salty, sarcastic, deliciously fuckable business tycoon? He's on T.V, always in the media, and on newspapers and magazines far too often not to go by unnoticed."

Danny's eyes sought out Ward and he saw how relaxed he was. It didn't matter if Ward was gay, straight, bi...Just being able to go out and not have a bunch of strangers recognize him, judge his every action, walk up to him on the streets asking him questions and if he was really _"Mr. Meachum"_ had to be a big deal. It's something Danny didn't have to worry about since everyone thought he was dead.

"So, why is one of the richest men in the city, and by all accounts straightest, retreating to a gay bar in order to feel safe?"

Danny frowned,"How should I know? If you want to know that badly, maybe you should ask him. And you really think he's straight?"

Brandon chuckled,"Sounds like you might have a crush on him."

The music changed then, to the next song and Danny stopped his movements. Brandon had no idea what his feelings for Ward were, then again, neither did he. He jumped between hating the man to thinking he looked sexy. "I want to help him." He stated the most honest retort he could think of. "What about you? You seem awfully protective of Ward. How do you know him?" He wanted to jump right in and ask about the thing with Jack, but didn't want to press his luck. Brandon was pretty open to discussing Ward with him, but he didn't know for how much longer.

Brandon smirked and winked at another male that was trying to capture the attractive mans attention. "Dan...I don't think that's really a story I should be telling. I will say this, that man over there went through some kind of hell a few days ago, and if you think he's doing alright now, then you're not looking into his eyes. He's a good actor, I imagine given his profession he has to be, but one look into his eyes and you can still see it."

As Danny made his way off the dance floor, feeling more questions and having no answers to anything, he was stopped in his tracks by one last thing Brandon had to say to him. "Do not hurt him." Danny's head whipped around, but Brandon had turned away and was already losing himself in the crowd and to the new music. Danny sauntered to the back and sat down with Ward. He picked up the drink Ward had ordered for him, and they sat in silence, enjoying the ambiance.

"You seemed like you were having fun out there on the dance floor."

He had been until the subject of Ward came up. "What happened to you here a few nights ago? ...With Jack?" When Ward stalled for time by drinking long swigs, Danny tried again. "Was Jack...was he the one that mugged you? Did he attack you, was he responsible for the...marks?"

Ward shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have to lie, Danny was coming up with his own conclusions and it was much easier to let him believe that. Ward wasn't ready to tall anyone the truth. "I didn't bring you here to talk about me or what happened to me."

"Then why did you bring me here?"

Ward took another swallow of his drink. "I brought you here so we could talk. You have been claiming you want to talk; obsessively so."

Danny gave Ward a perplexed stare,"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"You are so paranoid, but it's a fair question. Let's just say I may have been recently persuaded to change my opinions on you. Enough to at least hear what you have to say."

"Was it Joy?"

"Does it matter? You wanted to talk, so let's talk." At Danny's suddenly uncomfortable look, Ward shifted in his seat. "How did you survive the plane crash, Danny?"

Danny's blue eyes softened as he stared at Ward. Ward was the only one calling him Danny and it helped him grab hold of an identity he thought was long gone. "Do you believe I am Danny Rand now?"

"Only Danny would have known we held hands the entire time we ate ice cream. I've never told anyone about that. Not even Joy. Danny...you turned ten a week later."

Danny didn't hesitate to hold Ward's hand, and suddenly it was like they were back in the ice cream shop. "You turned fifteen three weeks after me...and then two months later."

"You got on that plane."

"Yeah, Ward." He rubbed at Ward's hand soothingly. It hadn't been either of their faults, but Danny never stopped to think how his death had affected Ward or Joy. They had to bury their friend and mourn his death only for him to pop back in their lives fifteen years later expecting to pick back up where they had left off.

"How'd you survive Danny?"

The sound of the planes engine roared in his ears and Danny started to get lose in his past. He remembered snow, and remembered how cold he had been. The scream of his mother, his father's last words to him. The memory played out like a fractured horror show and Danny gasped, shaking his head in denial.

"Danny?" Ward asked with mounting worry. What was wrong with him? "Danny. Hey, snap out of it." He squeezed their connected hands and then started caressing the top of Danny's hand.

"They died Ward. Me dad, when the plane hit a pocket of turbulence, he told me he loved me. Then...the roar of the engine. It was so loud. Then-" He winced in emotional pain when he remembered hearing his mother scream. "I don't remember what happened after that. I was cold, shivering in the snow when two monks found me. I blacked out after that, but they took me to their monastery."

"Jesus, Danny." They were still holding hands and the moment Danny noticed, a small smile managed to creep onto his otherwise depressed face. Even if Ward wasn't being entirely sincere or had some smarmy reasons for getting cozy with him, he still wouldn't trade that moment for anything. He subtly moved his chair closer and Ward didn't object to their now touching legs or Ward hadn't noticed. "I'm finding it a hard leap that you survived a plane crash and freezing to death by being rescued by monks. But I can't begin to imagine what you went through. You were right, that I wouldn't understand what you've endured."

Danny took a chance to rest his head on Ward's shoulder, the opposite shoulder to the one Ward was protecting fiercely in the car during his _'theft'_. He didn't expect to ever be that close to Ward again, and now he was cuddling up to the man and Ward wasn't moving away. "A lot of what I said in the car Ward-"

"Don't. You meant every word of it. Because you were angry, you were able to be truthful." Ward couldn't explain why Danny's presence was calming to his normally chaotic emotions. Whatever had possessed Danny to get closer to him, Ward was afraid to break the spell. "So what is it you wanted to talk to Harold about? To me?"

Danny sighed, and moved away from Ward, hands included. Easy come, easy go. "It's hard to explain and you'll definitely think I'm crazy."

"Considering what my life has consisted of lately, I'm seriously contemplating changing my definition of the word."

"I told you I was saved and taken to a monastery...Order of the Crane Mother. I was in a city they called K'un-Lun."

"K'un-Lun...I've never heard of that city. Where is that?"

It was Danny's turn to stall, as he took a long gulp of his drink. Finally, he started back up with his story, not prepared to give up everything. Those assassins had come from someone, and the less he told, the more in control of the situation he may have later on. "I found out things, things I shouldn't have. And I ran, and I haven't stopped. I ran here, because this....city was my home. It's the only other place I knew and You, and Joy...and Harold were the only other people I knew. Obviously not Harold anymore, but you and Joy are the only family I have left."

Feeling his phone vibrate, Ward quickly checked it, before he ignored the call. "You came looking for help. Money, resources and support, right? Answers...but why would Harold or this city of the answers to questions you found in the Himalayas?"

"I don't know Ward. Yes. I do want and need support, money and resources. But maybe I wanted a place where I felt safe as well. And my home here, Rand Enterprises...your home...were the last time I ever felt safe."

There was a pause. "Where's K'un-Lun? I am not a geography expert, but I helped Joy learn as much as she could about the Himalayas and where your plane went down. It was the only way she could cope with your loss. And K'un-Lun wasn't on any map we ever studied."

"No, it wouldn't be..." Danny fidgeted, knowing how this was going to sound. "It's one of the seven cities of Heaven."

Ward set his glass down and awkwardly stood up.

"Ward?"

"I should have listened to my gut. You're bat shit insane." _**Seven cities of Heaven.**_ "Maybe you had it rough, finding ways to survive on your own in extreme weather, after surviving the trauma of losing both of your parents, and you invented seven cities of Heaven to cope. I don't know, but I can't go there, where you are. I have to live in the real world."

His phone started ringing again, and Ward left the club in a hurry. He knew if he ignored yet another phone call from his father, his father would lapse quite quickly into old habits and beat him. But if he didn't, Ward was too scared to even take that chance. He didn't expect Danny to follow him out of the club.

"Hey." Ward answered shakily.

"Are you ignoring my calls and texts now, son?" Though his father's voice was calm and collected, he heard a strange smack on the other end, and concluded he was on speaker while his dad practiced on his punching bag.

Ward felt himself flinch every time he heard his fathers knuckles connect with the weighted bag. It was ludicrous, to feel fear from a man who could not physically harm him over the phone, but it didn't stop his irrational thoughts from swirling about. "No of course not. What do you want?"

"Have you picked Danny up yet? Have you learned anything?"

Ward swallowed uneasily. "No. Not yet."

Harold's pace picked up and it made Ward nervous about lying to the man. "Keep me apprised. I'm trusting you."

His jaw clenched and he let out a,"Will do," before he hung up. He placed his phone back into his pants pocket before he threw it and jumped when a hand landed on his good shoulder.

Danny was standing there, innocently watching him,"Who was that?"

"No one important." Ward spoke with quite a bit of venom in his voice. _**Only my worst nightmare.**_

Danny didn't quite believe him, but he saw something or someone that took precedence over his need for answers. "Did you see that?"

"Don't pull me into your delusions Danny. I have enough to worry about right now. I'll give you a lift to wherever you want to go, but I-"

"Ward look out!" Danny screeched but it was too late, a cloaked figure had bashed Ward over the head with a wooden Escrima stick. Ward folded and landed on his front side, onto the pavement of the parking lot. Many of the men that had been outside, became onlookers. Some rushed inside to find help, others ran away for their own safety, and a couple were on their cell phones calling for the police.

Danny was quick to move into action, his body moving against the flow of the sticks and each hit missed as he ducked and weaved. A second dark-clad figure came at him from behind and it took more concentration for Danny to maneuver between his attackers. His concern over Ward's safety caused him to make mistakes as well, and before he knew it, he too was on the ground getting hit over and over again. The only good thing to come of that, was that he saw Ward was still conscious, he was heavily disoriented, but their eyes locked together and it centered Danny enough. He focused on his pain, and soon his fist began to glow. He jumped up, and punched at one of the guys who went flying backwards, in a broken heap.

Seeing Danny's fist glowing, the power behind that simple punch and that the guy, if he was still alive was no doubt going to be in a world of pain when he rejoined the land of the conscious had forced Ward to question his beliefs. He almost couldn't believe his eyes, and the logical part of his brain, the one that was raised up on business, science, statistics, and numbers almost shut down and shut out the reality he was seeing. The second attacker had dropped one of their sticks in surprise, but was quick to go back into attack mode while Danny was panting heavily and preoccupied. He heard Danny groan in pain when they landed a blow against his back. Despite his own pain, Ward's finger wrapped around the stick on the ground, and using it to help him stand back up, he gripped it in his hands and then made an equally devastating blow to the back of his attackers head.

Once they hit the ground, Ward began to feel weak, but Danny was quick to catch him in his arms. "You're okay, Ward. You're going to be okay."

"Who were those guys?!"

"I don't know." Danny's voice grew slightly darker,"But I'm going to find out." He helped Ward move back to his car, and attempted to lighten the mood. "So, you still think I'm crazy?"

"Crazier than a crackhead hallucinating." Ward felt sluggish and it made it more difficult for Danny to get them to Ward's car. "But I believe you."

When Danny had to take on all of Ward's weight, he saw the man had passed out. He wrapped his arms around Ward tighter, so he wouldn't drop him to the pavement, and struggled to open the side door. He was gentle when he eased Ward's body and then head into the passenger side, but the blood Danny came away with was alarming. "Oh fuck. Fuck!"

He leaned over, tilted Ward's lulled head towards him and noticed the smack to his head had broken the skin. He couldn't tell how deep it was, and he wasn't sure if going to the hospital would be a good idea. The media would have a field day with rich business tycoon (as Brandon had put it) Ward being found unconscious and bloody outside of a gay bar. Not to mention, he had just been arrested for harassing the Meachum's; it would not look good on him to be found with a bloodied Ward. He took the keys out of Ward's pocket, got into the driver's seat, started the car and drove away. He didn't know where Ward's apartment was, nor Joy's, and he didn't have the time or means of looking it up. No, he only had one place he could find possible refuge at. Colleen Wing. Chikara Dojo.

* * *

 

Danny wasn't sure if Colleen would even be at the Dojo, considering how late it was, but he still had to try. She didn't owe him or Ward a thing, and a part of him knew he was going to be intruding and imposing on her, but what other choices did he have? He needed to make sure Ward would be alright, and Colleen seemed nice enough to want to do the right thing; he just hoped she wouldn't turn him away if she was still there. He carried Ward in his arms, his still bleeding head cradled on his shoulder. Using his foot to pound on the door, he told himself he'd give it two tries before he drove them to the hospital; he'd take his chances there as long as it meant Ward would be alright.

"Colleen! Please. It's Danny, please open up." He continued to plead in his head, and after kicking at the door once more, a disheveled Colleen appeared at the door. She was all set to yell at him, or threaten to call the cops, when she saw him carrying a hurt man in his arms.

"What?" She unlocked the door and opened it immediately for him. "Who? What happened? I thought you were in prison? What did you do to him?"

"Nothing! We were attacked."

"Well why aren't you at the hospital? What the hell are you even doing here?"

Danny rushed passed her not knowing where to put Ward, but needing to get him inside before anyone saw. "Colleen. I was just arrested and let out. How do you think it would look if I brought Ward into the hospital bleeding...This is pointless. I need help. I'll answer whatever questions you have, but is there any way you can help me. Help Ward."

Colleen hesitated, but she saw how desperate Danny looked and finally gestured to the room in the back. "There's a bed in there, lay him down. I'll get some bandages, and make a call."

"Call? No...no authorities, no hospital." Danny spoke in a rush, his grip on Ward tightening as he checked him over once more. He was still breathing, which was a plus.

"I'm not. I know someone who can help. Now you came here...you're going to have to trust me." She awkwardly patted him on his shoulder. "Your friend Ward...you're not going to lose him, if that's what you're worried about. He'll be alright."

"Okay." Danny's tone was hushed, and he disappeared into the bedroom, while Colleen grabbed what she needed and then dialed her friends number.

Inside the room, Danny sat Ward down on the bed, taking most of his weight so he could take off his black hoodie. A lump grew in his throat as he noticed the glaring black and purple bruise encompassing his shoulder. He continued to drag his hoodie down, noticing every single bruise on both of his arms. They were much older, yellow and healing, barely visible, but still enough to mark his skin. His fingers lightly traced over each bruise he saw, ignoring the one on his shoulder that was still hurting the businessman. Making the decision, Danny put his hoodie back on and hid the bruises once more. Ward would hate it that he had seen the horror, he wasn't going to expose it to Colleen.

With great care, Danny laid Ward down, and then picked up his legs so Ward would be fully on the bed. He gazed to the door, but when he saw and heard no sign of Colleen, he sat down on the bed beside Ward. His curiosity quickly won out and he slowly began to lift up Ward's T-Shirt. He got just passed his belly-button when he stilled. His side was burned, quite recently. He assumed it wasn't as bad as it was, since the skin appeared to be healing, but Danny was pretty sure there would be a scar. He wasn't sure if he wanted to continue, terrified over what he'd see and discover.

Danny felt he needed to know what was going on with Ward; he cared too much about Ward and he sometimes wished he didn't. However, he also felt like he had violated Ward's trust, by learning what he was hiding while Ward was vulnerable. His fingers touched his burned side and Ward groaned as his body flinched away from the contact. Blue eyes scanned Ward's face, but the man was still unconscious. Closing his eyes to another bruise he saw on his side, Danny pulled his shirt back down.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Ward." He kept the tears at bay, but he learned forward and rested his forehead against Ward's. "Whoever did this to you, will pay."

Hearing Colleed approaching, he quickly got off the bed, made sure there were no bruises showing, and said his thanks to Colleen once she entered.

She narrowed her eyes. "We're going to have a long talk, but not until we help him." With the man now laying down in the dim lighting of the bedroom, she was able to confirm that it was Ward Meachum. Colleen wasted no more time and gestured to him. "Tilt his head up."

Danny jumped into action and was back on the bed.

"Has the bleeding stopped?"

"No." Danny spoke, turning scared puppy dog eyes at Colleen.

She walked closer so she could inspect it. "The bleeding looks like it's slowing down, but it's a head wound, they tend to gush. But I don't know much about this field, we'll have to wait until my friend gets here." Dabbing some rubbing alcohol on the cloth, she applied it to Ward's head injury. "But I'm not taking any chances."

Ward's body jerked at the press to his injury, but ultimately, he remained unconscious. With nothing to do but wait, Colleen finally turned her attention to Danny. "What have you gotten me involved in, Danny?"

"Nothing, I swear. As soon as Ward comes back to, we'll be out of your Dojo. I am sorry I bothered you, but if I had anywhere else to go..."

"What happened?"

"Two guys came got the jump on us and attacked us outside of a club. I don't know who they were, or what they wanted. But they had no problem taking out Ward. I don't think they meant to just rob us and leave. They wouldn't have stopped until we were both dead."

Colleen's eyes flicked down to Danny's hands still on Ward's face. After that frantic phone call from the prison, she was under the impression Danny wasn't getting along with the Meachum's, but his gentle handling of Ward and his desperate concern was telling a very different story, and it only confused her. "You can't know their true intentions."

"That doesn't matter." Danny snapped.

Colleen felt on edge when his fiery eyes were on her, but once they lost their flare she sighed. "Help me understand Danny. Last I heard from you, you were in prison. How'd you wind up getting attacked with Ward, outside of some club?"

There was a knock on the outer doors and Colleen rushed out of the bedroom and made her way to the main entrance. Claire stood outside, a pack slung across her shoulder, her brown hair a tad messy from having been woken up so late at night, but it had been quickly brushed through. Colleen let her friend in,"Thanks again Claire. You know I wouldn't have called you this late at night if it wasn't an emergency."

"I know. Where is he?"

Colleen brought Claire to the backroom, and before she could make the introductions, Claire pushed Danny aside. "I need to get a good look at his injury, and you're in the way. You can hover over your boyfriend as long as you give me enough space to work."

There was disbelief on Danny's face, but he complied with her wishes, moving to the opposite side, and in spite of the false assumptions on their relationship, Danny found himself hovering. Claire had a kit of supplies in her pack, and after putting latex gloves on, she moved Ward's head to the side so she could look at the damage. "Was he hit with something sharp?"

"No. It was a blunt wooden weapon."

She disinfected the wound, and started cleaning the dry blood the was around the wound and in his hair off. She pulled out a bandage as well as a wrap and after applying the bandage, she began to wind the wrap around his head to hold the bandage in place. There was great relief on her face and she gave Danny a smile. "You're boyfriends lucky. It wasn't deep enough to warrant stitches, but I'll check on him in a couple hours. If the bleeding hasn't stopped by then, I'll go ahead and stitch him up. However, it seems like the bleeding is starting to stem off. So you can stop worrying."

"He's not my boyfriend." Danny murmured but his own face was breaking out in relief. His hand shot out and grabbed Claire's wrist when she reached over to take off Ward's hoodie.

"I need to know if he's been hurt anywhere else."

"He hasn't. I saw the attack, I was there. Ward only got hit on the back of the head." Danny didn't let up and wasn't going to. It was bad enough he had seen, he felt his anger, over it and found it hard to control now that he knew Ward was going to be okay.

Claire didn't like it, and she certainly wasn't happy with him grabbing her by her wrist and preventing her from doing her job, but she got the message. No more touching. Either he was hiding something, or he was strangely possessive of Ward. After a short nod, he released her wrist and she slowly got up and moved away.

Colleen jumped in, feeling the tension flooding the room. "Danny...you never did answer my question."

Danny felt uncomfortable answering her, with Claire standing right there. "Ward dropped the charges against me and was there to pick me up outside the prison. We went to the club to talk, that's it. You know what happened after that."

Claire was the first to respond. "Do you think he led you into a trap?"

Danny felt his emotions flare. "What? Of course not."

"It's Ward Meachum, Danny." Claire reiterated. "He's not a saint."

"I never said he was." He sighed. "I suppose he arranged the assault as well and his injury was all planned. Him fighting back when I got hit. That was all an act too."

"I wouldn't put it past him." Claire spoke. And Colleen had to get between Danny and her before they started fighting.

"Okay. Enough!" Colleen yelled. "Ward is hurt and I know personal feelings aside, you wouldn't do anything to impede his recovery." Claire nodded her head and backed off. Colleen next addressed Danny. "We're not accusing Ward of anything, so lets all get some rest and check on Ward in the morning. I've got a-"

"I'm staying here. I'll sleep on the floor." Danny spoke and it was clear he would not change his mind.

"Alright. I'll get you a few blankets. Claire, you can sleep in my room and I can sleep on the couch."

Claire shook her head and grabbed Colleen,"We can share the bedroom, it's fine. I will be back in a couple hours to check Ward over."

The two girls left, only for Colleen to return a few minutes later with a few blankets. "I'm sorry, about Claire." There was a shrug from Danny, before he tossed all but one blanket down to the ground. The last blanket he stretched out over Ward and covered him up. "She does have a point though. Don't you find it suspicious that he called the cops on you and then changed his mind?" She saw before her eyes Danny shut down as he set up his own blankets on the floor.

"Thank you for calling Claire, and letting us stay here while Ward recovers. But we'll be out of here as soon as he wakes up."

"I...I didn't mean it that way." She crouched down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's pretty clear that you care about Ward. And I don't know you from Adam. You are a total stranger to me Danny...but you should be cautious if you don't want to get hurt. In the meantime, you're free to stay as long as you like, but expect a bill."

She smiled softly when she saw the corners of his mouth start to break into a small smile and then she retired to her bedroom, leaving Danny alone with Ward. After a few hours, like clockwork, Claire had returned to the room to check on Ward and his injury. When she entered, she wasn't at all surprised to find Danny curled up on the bed beside Ward. He was sleeping above the blanket he had placed around Ward, but one of his arms was wrapped protectively around the thin man. Quickly checking Ward's head, and happy with the positive results, she left just as quietly as to not disturb either man.

* * *

 

Morning arrived, and Danny was sitting on the floor, above his blankets as he meditated. There was this anger brewing inside and he couldn't seem to capture it and use it to his advantage. Instead it coiled and slid, ebbing and flowing out of his reach. It'd burn his skin whenever he got close, reminding him each time why he was so angry. He saw the burn marred skin, the two dark blotchy bruises upon white skin, the blood seeping out of Ward's skull, his hair matted with it. He squinted his eyes, as he tried to throw those images out of his mind and regain his emotions. It didn't work, and after a few more minutes of faking at a real attempt he yelled out in frustration.

Colleen had peeked around the corner, as she popped an M&M in her mouth. "Didn't have any luck?"

"No." Danny, instead of trying to reach that state of meditation that he knew he wasn't going to reach, not that soon after discovering more horrific questions surrounded Ward, he gave a look at the man sleeping on the bed.

"How's he doing?"

Since her concern sounded more genuine then last night, Danny felt himself more receptive to her. "Much better. He still hasn't woken up, but he looks a lot better."

"Good." Colleen saw him eyeing her candy, and grinned sheepishly. "Never too early for chocolate. You want some?"

He took the bag, and walked over to one of the end tables, and poured out all the rest of the M&M's. "Could you do me a favor?" He was separating out all the M&M's from the brown ones.

"You're suppose to eat them." She pointed out before shrugging. "What kind of favor?"

"I just want you to deliver a message, that's all." He did look around. "Where's Claire, by the way?"

"She had somewhere she needed to be this morning, but she said she'd be back around noon to redress Ward's wound. So, uhh what message did you want me to deliver, and to who?"

Scooping up all but the brown M&M's, Danny put them back into the package and handed it back to Colleen. "I need you to deliver these to Joy. Joy Meachum. Tell her they're from Danny Rand." He stood there awkwardly, hoping Joy remembered their silly ritual. They had a lot of fond memories together, but he assumed the trauma of his so called death could have altered their memories or even helped to erase their memories of him. A way of coping and dealing with the loss. But it was the only thing he could think of.

Colleen jumped slightly when Ward started moaning 'No', over and over again.

"Stop. Please, stop!" Ward's voice hitched up higher and alarmed Danny dropped the bag of M&M's to the table and crawled into bed with Ward.

He sadly didn't know where was safe to touch, but held onto his good shoulder while his other hand was firmly on his cheek. "Ward! Ward, it's just a dream. You're dreaming, wake up."

Brown eyes opened and after a second of confusion, Ward relaxed at the sight of Danny. He didn't know where he was, which kept him tense and alert, however. He ran a hand into his hair, and came across the bandage. In a flicker of clarity the events of the previous night came flooding back and he winced. "Wasn't much help, was I..."

"You protected me after that one guy hit me in the back. You did just fine."

"Where exactly are we?" Ward changed the subject.

"Chikara Dojo, my Dojo." Colleen interrupted.

Ward gazed at her suspiciously, so Danny made the introductions and explained what had happened the night before and that Colleen and Claire had helped him. When Colleen had made an ill-timed joke about her wildly high bill, Ward became serious and while he fully intended to give her compensation for all she did, Danny felt the tension. It was painfully clear that Ward assumed that all Colleen wanted out of him was money, and not that she helped him out of the goodness of her heart. It saddened Danny that Ward grew up believing that about the world. And if it had been experience that taught him that no one wanted to help him, that they only wanted his money; well that would have been worse and Danny felt that anger knotting inside him once more.

"Umm Colleen. About my favor?" He decided to cut through the tension, but when he went to stand up, he felt Ward's grip around his wrist tighten. So instead he stayed on the bed beside him, providing him with the safety or comfort or whatever it was that Ward needed.

A glance between them was all she needed to know, and she nodded her head. Grabbing the M&M bag, she nodded her head. "I'll be back soon."

* * *

 

Colleen was let into Joy's office, after a longer wait then she had thought it'd be, but it hadn't been a total shock. Joy stood up, she was slightly worried over Ward not coming into work, again, but prayed it was for a good reason. She did look at Colleen expectantly, not knowing who this woman was, but willing to hear her out. She had made an appointment after all, and said she only had a simple delivery and wouldn't take up much of her time.

"I've got no clue what I'm doing here." Colleen fiddled with the bag. Why she was helping someone she didn't know was a mystery to her. "Danny asked me to give this to you." She handed off the bag of M&M's to Joy.

Understandably, Joy was confused and a little skeptical  _ **(this was about some homeless psycho that broke into their building after all...right?!)**_ , but she still accepted the bag. She opened it up, staring at the contents before she dumped the M&M's onto her desk. Her legs gave out as she was faced with memories from her past and sunk to her chair at her desk. A small laugh escaped her, but it soon turned into a sob. "Oh, my god. It is Danny."

Colleen felt immensely awkward, but did walk forward. So the blue-eyed, curly blonde nut was Danny Rand, heir to Rand Enterprises. This must have been the reason why her Sensai wanted her to keep an eye on him. She squeezed Joy's shoulder in support and Joy, unthinkingly, placed her hand over Colleen's. "If you have time after work, you're welcome to come to my Dojo. Danny and Ward are both there right now. You could speak with Danny."

Joy turned tearful eyes at Colleen, too many emotions were playing in her mind and she couldn't process them all. So she went to what she was comfortable with. Drying her eyes and straightening her blouse, she gave a curt nod. "Thank you. I'd like that."

Colleen nodded. "Alright, well I'll let you get back to work." She was quick to jot down the address to her Dojo and then headed out of the office. "I'll see you later, Joy."


	11. Docens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there was only suppose to be a little bit of Danny/Ward development, and then a whole mess of other stuff was meant to happen. Danny and Ward had other plans. Since their development took up so much, I decided to just have an interlude kind of chapter to further develop their friendship/relationship. Chapter 12 will have all the things that were meant to happen in this chapter.
> 
> Slight angst this chapter, but it's actually pretty mellow and has some fluff. (Just enough to give "my" poor Ward some hope and normalcy before things take a turn for the dark in the next couple of chapters) ....I don't own Ward, sadly.
> 
> But enjoy the Danny/Ward-ness. And hopefully Chapter 12 won't take me that long.

"You don't have to coddle me anymore." Ward finally retorted after being held in Danny's arms for the better part of thirty minutes. His nightmare had long since passed and he was no longer affected by it. However, Danny still kept his arms wrapped tightly around him. He didn't know why Danny was there or why he cared so much. He hadn't done anything to warrant Danny's protection, comfort or friendship. "I'm not going to break."

Danny's biceps tensed around him and Ward frowned. He was conflicted, because it did feel good that someone was actually concerned about him-he didn't get that very often. But at the same time, he felt very offended. "I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for fifteen years." Danny didn't let up, as he sighed behind Ward's ear. "Danny, let go of me."

"I know things have always been rocky between us, but we're both adults now. Don't you think you should stop lying to me? It serves no purpose."

This stopped Ward's weak struggling and he gazed at Danny from over his shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

"The marks around your neck and wrists, they're faded now, but you can still see them. Where did you get them?"

Ward elbowed Danny in the ribs in order to get away from him. "Thought you had dropped that issue?"

He rubbed at his ribs,"I did. I was going to, until I saw that bruise on your shoulder, and the nasty burn on your side."

Ward flinched, but got off the bed, distancing himself from Danny. He did turn betrayed eyes to the blonde. "How dare you. Did you decide to start snooping when I was unconscious and at my most vulnerable?"

"Yeah...NO!" Danny corrected vehemently. "I was taking off your hoodie, so I could put it under your head last night and make you more comfortable and I saw how badly bruised your shoulder was." At Ward's look, Danny rushed his next words, fearing Ward's outburst. "I was alarmed....and scared, and yes, I had a moment of weakness. I tugged up your shirt to see if any other damage had been done and saw the burn marks."

Ward couldn't possibly sum up how incredibly angry he was. The room closed in around him, and he found himself having a hard time breathing in the small space. He gasped for breath, which only freaked Danny out more. "In what world is it okay for you to violate my trust and privacy that way?"

That had caused Danny to look to the floor in shame, but he didn't let up. "Why are you avoiding the question? I want to know what happened to you. I care about you Ward, and right now I couldn't even begin to tell you why."

"Why?" Ward didn't care that Danny couldn't explain why, he needed to know. "How can you care about me? We were never close, and it's been fifteen years Danny."

Danny still watched Ward from the bed warily. Ward kept his distance, but he was still breathing irregularly, and his hands at his sides were beginning to tremble. Ward's actions were as telling as Ward's denial and refusal to answer a simple question. This had to be far more then a mere mugging, but Danny was vastly losing hope that he'd get Ward to admit it, and he was wondering if forcing Ward to face it was as bad as whoever had hurt Ward. "We were never as close as I wanted us to be...but how can you stand there and care so little about yourself?"

Danny was pushing Ward too hard, he knew that. But he feared if he left it up to Ward, and let Ward tell him on his own time, he never would. He'd spew a bunch of lies and expect him to take it at face value. Anything else would be unacceptable and Danny would end up losing Ward to his own stubbornness.

Speaking of said obstinacy. "That's not an answer."

Danny lifted an eyebrow. "And yours was?" He decided to try going on the attack. "Ward you were assaulted! Badly from what I can tell. You can't stand there and justify defending your attacker to me! That's what you're doing by remaining silent. You don't have to come out publicly with it, but damnit Ward, talk to me." He should have stopped then, but his own anger at what he classified as injustice was clouding his judgment. He saw the hot angry tears start to spill down Ward's face, but he kept going. "It's sick an appalling if you're going to defend that by remaining silent."

This seemed to break some part of Ward as he fell to the ground clutching himself for support, and still he tried in vain to keep the tears from falling. **Well fuck**. Danny was off the bed in a heartbeat and held onto Ward, hoping to provide the comfort and support Ward was in need of. The businessman resisted, as he cried out against Danny's comfort. His cry was a cross between outrage and a sob and it broke Danny's heart to hear it. It was definitely the sound of a desperate man, and he feared for Ward, he did. Whatever Ward was caught up in, Danny wanted to help pull him out of it.

"No. Get off me!" Ward hissed out. Tears were running down his cheeks, as he continued to push at, pound, and yell at Danny. "Let go. Don't touch me. Danny....Danny please stop. Get off. Fucking let go."

The struggle continued and Danny had a harder time keeping a hold of him, as every new shift caused Ward to gasp in pain, on top of his ranting. "Shhh.." Danny tried. "You're only hurting yourself Ward. I can help you. I want to help you, Ward. Together we can get through whatever you're dealing with. Just let me in, and let me help you."

Time seemed to slow down for Ward, as his eyes went wide and he saw a very different image in his minds eye. Long black curls, deep sensitive eyes. Tammy had said nearly the same words to him the day before she broke up with him and disappeared. He had this feeling that something terrible had happened to her, and that Harold was behind it. He used as much force as he could to break away from Danny and ran from the room. He had felt claustrophobic in his embrace and hearing Danny say something so similar to what Tammy had once said caused the room to spin. He grabbed one of the wooden pillars in the middle of the Dojo to keep himself standing. Hearing Danny follow behind him, he scrubbed away the tears, keeping his back turned to his old friend. "You can't help me Danny. It was just a simple mugging. That's it."

To say Danny was disappointed was a huge understatement. He knew Ward was still lying, he just couldn't understand why. What the hell was he protecting? "What's gotten into you Ward?" He walked closer, but didn't dare touch him again, not when Ward's body tensed up. "I've never seen you like this before."

Ward and he locked eyes, and Danny took a step back at the dark glaze that was reflected in them. "No. That's not quite true. I remember...one time when we were younger in school."

In an instant, Ward knew which memory Danny was talking about. He shivered, and he was already shaking his head no. "Leave it Danny."

"It was after that fight we had, at your house."

"Stop." Ward spoke in a hush, his resolve quickly weakening.

Danny would have listened to Ward, but he gripped his head, his mind already starting to conjure up the memory. "You threw peanut butter at my head. We screamed about hating each other. I wanted you to be punished!" Danny closed his eyes as the memory of the following day in school washed over him. "I think-"

"Please, please. Shut up." But Ward's words went unheeded.

* * *

 

_Danny held his notebook and textbook close to his chest as he prepared to head to his next class. Being in a private school was an advantage academically, but when grade five through twelve was lumped together, it tended to cause problems; at least Danny felt that way. But a lot of that had to do with Ward acting like an asshole to him. He was one of the most popular students in the school-for his grade, if you were on his good side you got perks or were left alone. If you were on his bad side though, chances were you were going to have a bad school experience. He saw Ward in his peripheral vision, but as he turned to confront him, Joy looped her arm in Danny's._

_"Danny!" She spoke happily._

_Danny hadn't seen Ward since their fight, and he had wanted to do something about that. He planned to give Ward a piece of his mind, that day was going to be the day he stepped out of his shell and laid into him. However, Joy's presence kept him from going over to Ward. His eyes frequently glanced in his direction and wandered towards him. There was something different about Ward. He didn't walk with his head held high, with confidence like he normally did. He was slouched, trying to go by unnoticed and for someone as popular as Ward that was impossible. What really grabbed Danny's attention was Ward's usually vibrant eyes had turned hollow and appeared almost dead._

_It was spooky and Danny felt a shiver run through his body. He definitely had a love/hate relationship with Ward. When Joy would gush over him and talk about how they were going to get married when they were older, he spent most of his time picturing himself marrying Ward. He would picture how they'd both look as older men and he even dreamed that their father's would retire and together he and Ward would run Rand Enterprises. Joy crossed in front of him, blocking his view of Ward._

_"What are you doing?"_

_Danny's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

_"After what you told me Ward did to you yesterday...you better not be thinking of actually apologizing to that jerk. That asshole doesn't deserve it. That asshole doesn't even deserve your friendship. Stop trying, cut ties with him completely. He's not worth the headache."_

_Danny nodded in agreement and she led him away. There was this constant nagging in the back of his mind. His blue eyes scanned over Ward once more when he was struck by a very peculiar sight. Ward was covered up. His neck down was covered, he even wore gloves, and it was a pretty hot day. It didn't make any sense to Danny. But even though it made little sense to him, he made the decision to talk with Ward._

_"I'll meet you in class." Danny said,"But I need to use the bathroom first."_

_Joy gave him the stink-eye. "Promise me you're not going to talk with Ward and apologize for him being a jerk."_

_"I'm not going to apologize to Ward." Danny promised._

_It was good enough, but Joy still huffed and flipped her hair as she wandered away. Danny headed to Ward's locker, where Ward seemed to be hovering, but slunk back when two of his 'friends' showed up. The first bell had rung and the last of the crowd of kids booked it to their classes. Danny turned the corner, so he was close enough to see and hear Ward and his friends, but not be obvious about it. There were still a few students lagging behind or just taking their time, but the hallways were mostly empty by that time. Danny almost wondered if the three boys were going to skip class, until they started talking._

_"Meachum!" One said, easily slinging an arm around Ward's neck._

_Danny watched in a trance as Ward flinched at the contact. He ducked his head almost further, but his friends didn't notice the change._

_"We still on for tonight? Party at Jay's."_

_"No." Ward spoke softly. The one word sounded so eerie to Danny. "I'm not going."_

_"No?" They were in disbelief and acted like Ward had betrayed them._

_The second one smacked him on the back. "Come on Ward. We need to go out and party. Get away from this-"_

_"Don't touch me." Ward warned and tried shrugging off the guys arm that was still around his neck._

_Perplexity_ _was an understatement. "I'm sorry. What?"_

_"I said, stop touching me."_

_"What the hell is wrong with you?"_

_"You're weak." They both had lashed out in defense. The first guy let go of Ward's neck only to grab at his wrist._

_Ward instantly flinched away, and bit down on his lip so hard, to keep from crying out, that his lip started to bleed. The other one was so angered by Ward's perceived betrayal and rejection that he slammed Ward against the locker. As they walked away from him, one of them shouted. "You've changed man. You're not the Ward I know. Pathetic."_

_Danny waited until they disappeared into their classroom before he stepped back out. Thankfully, the second bell rang out and Danny found himself alone in the hallway with Ward. Ward had spotted him coming, but hadn't said anything, so Danny kept silent too. He leaned against the locker standing beside Ward. They stood in silence, before Danny finally broke through the quiet. "I should hate you."_

_Danny saw Ward get visibly upset by that, and it made Danny realize that he would never be able to hate Ward. "Why don't you?"_

_Danny shrugged his shoulders as he got closer to Ward. "I don't know. I guess I see something no one else see's. You're a good guy and I..." Danny began to chew on his lower lip. He was always content to dream and remain in his fantasy world with his first 'puppy' love. But actually admitting to Ward that he liked him, no. He was much too shy and too afraid of rejection to openly admit it._

_Ward was a little taken back with Danny practically cuddling his side, though as it was his not so beaten side, and it wasn't the side of his broken wrist, he let Danny get away with it. He needed the comfort, honestly, and it's not like anyone was in the halls to witness it and damage his reputation. They both decided silently to skip class, and somewhere down the line they wound up on the floor, with Danny's head against his arm. He had wished he could have done something for Danny, put an arm around his back, say something so no matter what was said between them, Danny would know that he still regarded him as family. But he didn't. Danny was nine years old, and being that close to him, only reminded him of what Harold had tried to do to Danny. Touching Danny meant he was just as sick as his father, so he kept his hands to himself, and they sat in silence until it was time for their next class._

* * *

 

Danny saw the memory so clearly, and at the time, he had been so excited over being with his crush that he hadn't remembered much of anything else but Ward's solid presence beside him. But now, he remembered the nearly silent weeping Ward had done while they cuddled. Why hadn't he noticed back then? And why was he still ignoring it now? Though Ward had scrubbed the tears from his eyes and he no longer gasped for breath or sobbed, the crying had simply turned silent and Danny was pained to see the soundless tears freely run down Ward's cheeks. He had done that to him, he had forced Ward to visit a memory that he probably preferred to forget. He had similar memories and he shook his head of them, before those swallowed him up as well.

"I'm sorry some dick robbed you." Danny raised his hand to touch Ward's back, to guide him to the open floor, but thought better of it and walked passed him instead. "So I'm going to help you in my own way. I'll teach you some basic self defense moves, called...Danny's survival coarse, for beginners."

Ward started to chuckle, through his previous emptiness, until he realized that Danny was being sincere. "Oh you're serious? You really are insane."

Danny grinned, not expecting that reaction and instead of taking offense he prompted. "Why do you say that?"

Ward didn't believe what Danny was asking, when it was obvious to him. "Have you seen me? I'm not really coordinated enough for that. I'm just a businessman, I'm not a fighter."

Danny wasn't deterred as he started towards the open floor, his blue eyes searching for place mats. "Was it not you that hit that guy who had attacked me while my back was turned? You knocked him out. You've got skill Ward, you just need to learn how to hone those skills. I can help...if you want."

He suspected that Danny really wanted to teach him, he looked like an excitable boy at Christmas or on his birthday over the prospect of teaching him basic moves. "Sure." Ward spoke. "I'm guessing you can't teach me how to make my fist glow and send men flying. Whoever those men were. Did you know them?"

"I don't know. I think they belonged to the same group that sent three assassins after me yesterday. I thought you were behind it at first. It's why I stole your car, to get answers. Obviously, they came from somewhere else. I don't know who yet, but I will find out who they are." He did crack a small grin at Ward. He hadn't reacted to the fist as badly as he thought Ward might. "As for the glowing fist, that's something I earned, and can't be taught. It's more trouble then it's worth, be glad you don't have to worry about it."

Ward gazed around the open space awkwardly. He wasn't entirely surprised that Danny had been suspicious of him, and if Danny were really smart; he was probably still leery of him and his intentions. Hell, even Ward himself didn't know what he wanted from Danny. He knew his father wanted as much information on Danny as Ward could get, and his fear of his father caused him to obey. However, he had actually enjoyed himself while being out with Danny. Ward knew he could get close to Danny, Danny had this...spirit about him that made Ward feel safe.

The fact that Ward felt this all too quickly with Danny, put him on edge. He couldn't afford to be hurt by Danny, or have his father hurt Danny for getting too close to him, either. His body drooped when he realized that all his hope for having a friend, and having someone he could be close to and rely on that wasn't his sister were dashed away in an instant. Harold would **never** allow that. He or Danny would get hurt in the long run, and he should put an end to their reconciliation then and there, before either one of them got any more invested in the others time. "So, did you learn how to fight from those monks you mentioned?"

_Yep, he would break it off... **any minute.**_

"Yeah. They were....uhh.." A lump formed in his throat and a flash of being hit and lashed, and beaten came to the forefront of his mind. Every time he had gotten a move wrong, had questioned their ways, or mentioned his mother, the hitting would start. But the flash was gone and over and he shrugged off Ward's deeply concerned stare. "They were extremely strict in their teachings. But don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

"You implying I suck, before we've even started?"

Danny was about to go on the defensive, when he realized Ward was making light of the situation and hadn't been offended. He did eye Ward up and down, and gestured to the man. "You'll need to get out of those clothes. You'll need better mobility and you're not going to get it in that suit. Shirtless would be optimal." Danny saw Ward pale at that,"But it's not necessary."

Danny stripped off his loose fitting long sleeve shirt, having another tight short sleeve shirt on underneath. "You can wear this."

There was a grimace on Ward's face as he took the offered shirt. "When's the last time you cleaned this?"

"Just put it on." Danny remarked. They stood there regarding each other, before Ward retreated back into the room. It came as no surprise that Ward didn't want to strip in front of him, which made Danny wonder if there were more injuries marring his body that Danny hadn't seen or if Ward had turned into a prude. He turned away, to give Ward the illusion of being respectful, but it didn't take long for curiosity to overtake him, and his blue eyes tried to find Ward in the cracked opening of the door.

A small part of Ward must have hoped he'd look, otherwise Ward never would have kept the door open. Danny surmised that Ward, or a part of him, did want help; he just didn't know how to ask for it. He grew up with Ward, and the Ward he knew was always self-sufficient and a bit of a loner. He was an oxymoron, being that he was as popular as he was in school. His eyes finally caught sight of Ward through the small opening and what he saw stopped his train of thought. Everything came to a screeching halt, his breathing, he was sure his heart had stopped or skipped a beat, and he covered his mouth reflexively. It was tough to see clearly, but he could see enough to know Ward's back was littered with bruises.

This was not a one off attack, by some robber. Though Danny hadn't bought Ward's insistence on that story. The bruises were in different stages of recovery. Something like that had to come from chronic abuse, but there was no way to know who was doing it. Danny's only option would be to do his own investigating and with his limited resources, he didn't think he'd get far, or get closer to Ward, gain his trust and finally get Ward to open up about it. He tore his eyes away, his stomach tossing unpleasantly, as he tried to get a hold of his emotions. Danny started to set up floor mats for their training session in an effort to distract himself. However, his anger was rising and he wanted nothing more then to hunt down whoever was harming Ward and have them get up close and personal with his iron fist.

"I feel ridiculous in this shirt. And I bet I look like a recently bankrupted businessman."

The voice broke through Danny's thoughts and he spun around. Seeing Ward standing there, wearing his shirt, twisted his insides in a pleasant way. His mouth watered at the sight and a part of him felt this possessiveness over Ward. It made no difference that his shirt and Ward's bare feet didn't match with Ward's dress pants. It was just undeniably sexy to see Ward wearing **his** clothing. "No, you look...fine." Danny finished lamely.

Ward found himself amused by Danny, and even admitted his clueless-ness and bashfulness were cute. This was a man who had broke into the Rand building, and then stole his car in front of his security. After all that, Ward would think Danny would be able to pay a guy a compliment. He got onto the mats that Danny had set up,"Before I start taking fashion advice from one Danny Rand, let's begin. So, what do I have to do?"

Getting down to business, Danny was able to collect himself rather well. "Since you had been attacked from behind, I thought I'd teach you a simple move for when an attacker comes at you from the back. I hope to teach you basic hand to hand as well, but I'm just going to ease you in first. Flips and counters to help defend yourself, then we can continue from there." Danny placed his arm around Ward's neck, and then used his other to get Ward's arm in a lock. "I'll come at you and grab you like this. You-"

Ward's body was tense, and as much as he was allowing himself to trust Danny and as much as he told himself Danny wouldn't hurt him; he couldn't help but think this was a bad idea. "I'm not sure about this."

"I'm going to show you where to place your feet and how to use your attackers strength against them in combination with your own upper body strength." His hold became more gentle, not oblivious to Ward's renewed tension and was relieved when Ward began to relax against his chest.

He placed his feet where Danny suggested and followed his instructions. They went through the motions a few times before either one was prepared to try the first flip for real. "If you really are uncomfortable with this, we can stop." Danny's voice was right behind his ear and it sent a shiver through Ward's body.

Ward closed his eyes and licked at his bottom lip. "I think this is all a lost cause, but I'm willing to learn, if you think I can even be taught."

Instead of commenting on Ward's lack of self worth, Danny proceeded to start with the lesson. As soon as they started, the first demonstration caused Ward to be so tense and scared that Danny almost stopped things then and there. Ward had been on the verge of freaking out, certain he'd have a flashback of Harold, that the lesson turned into a catastrophe. The second and third times weren't much better, but Danny's fourth try, Ward was more relaxed and almost knocked Danny off his feet. A few more times, and Danny was flipped over Ward's shoulder and he landed hard on the mat.

Ward had gotten his footing messed up and lost his balance. He landed on top of Danny, and flushed when Danny started laughing. "I told you I wasn't good at this."

Danny shook his head,"You're actually catching on rather quickly. You have potential."

Blue eyes stared into brown, and suddenly the laughter died out. "We use to rough house all the time when Joy wasn't around."

Danny slowly moved his hand up Ward's arm, and his lips parted on a soft sigh. A warmth spread through Ward and his heavy-lidded eyes opened wider when it dawned on him what he was experiencing. It'd been so long since he'd been turned on or felt sexual desire. But there it was, and when he realized his dick was beginning to harden, his face got even redder. Danny had always been endearing, his jealousy of Danny having a loving father aside; he had always thought he was a cute kid. Naive, utterly hopeless, and far too trusting. However, while he knew this was Danny, he had a hard time seeing that hopeless kid that followed him everywhere in the strong and confident man that was underneath him now. Perhaps that was why he was starting to find Danny attractive.

Danny shifted underneath him and it was more obvious that his interest was greater then that of a friend. He feared what his newfound attraction for Danny said about him and all the countless years of parental abuse. Danny had felt the hard on pressing into his thigh, and he felt a sense of light-headedness. He hadn't meant for their lesson to take the direction it had, but he found himself responding regardless. He had never had sex and aside from his puppy stage crush on Ward when he was younger, and his pact with Joy, he didn't have a whole lot of experience. And he couldn't help that his body was reacting so strongly to Ward. He and his sister were the only ties he had, and it didn't surprise him in the least that his young crush on Ward had come back to him full force when he was reunited with him again.

His head tilted to the side, and he unconsciously licked at his lips. But when his eyes finally trailed up to Ward's face, he saw the fear there. This hopelessness and panic and Danny knew he needed to do something to get Ward to focus back on him. Taking control of the situation, he took Wards hands in his, pulled them above his head and then awkwardly threw Ward off. Using the momentum, he rolled over and effectively their roles were reversed. Ward did let out a sharp gasp, followed by a wince when his back hit the mat, but it was enough to break through his panic. Danny asked guiltily,"Did I hurt you?"

Ward shook his head, but the words caught in his throat. Danny's pupils were wide and he wasn't sure, since it'd been so long, but he thought he saw desire in the blonde's eyes. Harold was his only recent experience, and most of the time he dominated and expressed power over him. Any lust and desire directed at him, was twisted up in a form of manipulation and also power. Ultimately, Harold wanted to exert his power over him, and Ward was too weak to oppose it. He did have the bizarre thought that Danny was going to kiss him. Not act out some passed memory to jog his, but an actual kiss. Despite feeling ill-prepared for a kiss, believing it was too soon, he still moved his head to the side to give Danny better access. He started to close his eyes and lean upward when he saw Danny leaning down. Ward just hoped that Harold didn't creep in.

A cleared throat broke through the moment, and they both turned to the noise and saw Colleen standing there watching them closely. "How long have you been standing there?" Danny regrettably got off of Ward. "I...mean...I was just teaching Ward some moves. I hope you don't mind that I used some of your equipment."

Ward gave her an assessing look, before he stood up slowly. "Who are you?"

"Colleen Wing." Colleen spoke, a little more coldly then she intended. "This is my Dojo."

"She ...and her friend helped you Ward, don't you remember? I introduced you two earlier. They were the ones that bandaged your head."

Ward's confused look was directed at Danny and Colleen. He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers touching his bandage. Reminded of his injury, his muddled thoughts came remembered vaguely being introduced to Colleen when he first woke up. Ward felt some animosity from her, though he couldn't understand why. He allowed the mask of a businessman to fall over his face. He had to deal with selfish, depraved individuals all the time. A little contempt towards him was nothing in comparison. So he held out his hand for a handshake. "Thank you. For not turning Danny or myself away."

Colleen finally shook his hand, but her eyes eventually went to Danny. She couldn't understand why she didn't like Ward, or why she was drawn to Danny either. But it was clear what she had interrupted and she was glad she had. "I have a group of students coming in, in a couple hours."

Feeling like he had overstayed his welcome, despite only just meeting her, Ward started heading for the room where his clothes were. "I'll grab my things and be out of here soon."

"Ward..." Danny begged, but his eyes went to Colleen. She hadn't expressed her desire for them to leave, or was he missing something?

Colleen sighed, giving in to Danny's look once more. "That wasn't what I meant. Though if you two could make yourself scarce while I'm teaching, that'd be great." She still had her reservations about Ward, and she didn't realize she was feeling jealous over him either, but she did give him a small olive branch when he stuck his head out of the bedroom. "As for those moves Danny is teaching you. I saw enough to see where you went wrong. I could give you some pointers."

Danny smiled broadly,"Great! What do you say Ward?"

Reluctantly he walked back towards the mats,"Can't say you'll see any improvements, but let's go."


	12. Credo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, I do apologize for the wait. Between the holidays, work, getting sick...real life has just been a monster obstacle. However, I'm back with a new chapter. And idea's for chapter 13, though I am uncertain when that chapter will be finished, as the latest update concerning my father is not good. Won't throw out details, but am letting you all know that while this will push the story back, it will not destroy it. Just be patient with me. :)
> 
> No real bad scenes below, just minor darkness, and language to be on the look out for. But if you're still reading this story, by now you know what to expect. Enjoy!
> 
> If I don't post the next chapter before the end of this year, then Merry Christmas, and Happy New Years to you guys!

_They were all surrounding the table at the Rand's apartment. Danny's birthday cake was centered in front of him and the candles illuminated his excited face. Ten candles were lit, Joy sat beside Danny, his parents stood around the table with Heather filming the birthday celebration and Ward sat across from the blonde ten year old. Harold was in the livingroom setting up for all of Danny's gifts, but Ward barely paid attention to what was going on around him. It had been several months since the assault and his wrist had been healed for some time, however, that meant he was fair game again to his father. Granted he hadn't gone as far as breaking his wrist or worse, but he still had a nasty gash on his arm, and an injured side._

_Both were easy to hide from prying eyes, and so he kept it secret. He was too afraid to tell anybody, and wasn't prepared for any inquiries if someone did see his injuries. Ward was more withdrawn at school and at home; seeking solitude every chance he got. Joy was use to his 'moods' and deemed it normal, so saw nothing wrong with him. Danny. Danny was another story. He noticed the change, but instead of comforting him or seeking him out, Danny was giving him space. It was a week prior, that he had run out in the street to save Danny and they secretly held hands under the booth at the ice cream parlor. That was the first contact he'd had with Danny for quite some time, contact that wasn't naturally hostile. It had also put him and Danny in awkward territory._

_Neither_ _one knew if they were now meant to be friendlier with each other. Neither knew where to go from that point. So while they didn't ignore each other, things were pretty strained. Thankfully, being at Danny's birthday party and having his other friends over, it was easier for Ward to drown everything out and stick to the background. Applause jerked him back to the birthday party he was attending, barely noticing the other friends Danny had over, but his eyes did catch sight of Danny blowing out the last of his candles. He also didn't miss Joy flinging her arms around Danny's neck. Ward would be lying if seeing how close they were didn't hurt him, he didn't expect he'd lose Joy and Danny to each other, but he figured it could have been much worse._

_"Happy Birthday Danny!" Joy giggled, her arms still around Danny's neck and she leaned close enough to kiss him sweetly on the cheek. Ward's eyes darkened, unsure why or who he was jealous of. "What did you wish for?"_

_Danny's blue eyes caught Ward's darker eyes briefly, before he spun around in Joy's arms and smiled at her. "It already came true._

_Joy's grin reached from ear to ear,"Danny Rand, I'm going to marry you some day."_

_Heather, and some of Danny's friends were giggling, a few made gagging noises, but all Ward saw was how Danny's smile grew just as wide and he had to swallow down a lump in his throat; it was worse. While everyone seemed to be preoccupied with Danny, Ward got up from the table and left. He couldn't sit there and endure watching any longer. Only the two adults witnessed him leaving the main area._

_Heather seemed disappointed, believing Ward couldn't stomach Danny being the center of attention, but she did not to her husband. Wendell gave his sons curls a tassel before he left the dining area in search of Ward. He checked several different rooms, before he came across the last one. He peeked inside and at first glance he didn't see anyone, but his eyes scanned the room a final time and the landed on a mop of brown hair. Gently, Wendell closed Danny's bedroom door behind him and moved forward. Ward was curled up on the floor in the corner of Danny's bedroom._

_"Ward?" Wendell asked. He didn't want to come off as hostile. Ward gazed up and Wendell's face softened at the tears in the young teen's eyes. He stepped cautiously forward,"What's wrong, son? Does this have anything to do with Danny? Your birthday is coming up soon. Your father-"_

_Harold had told him that Ward informed him he was too old for parties and that was why they were no longer going to hold a celebration for Ward. Wendell wondered if this was just Ward having second thoughts. Ward surprised him though when he laughed bitterly,"I don't want to celebrate my birthday....ever again."_

_Alarmed to hear Ward who wasn't quite fifteen yet, say that, had worried him. He reached over and tried to pat Ward's arm, but Ward recoiled so violently that Wendell instantly backed off. "Ward, I'm worried about you son. Please, tell me. What's bothering you?"_

_He seemed to be upset, and Wendell watched helplessly as a few tears slipped down Wards cheeks. Wendell was more prudent he reached out to Ward a second time. Despite the flinch, he didn't back away and Wendell wrapped his arms around the boy. He was the closest thing he had to a nephew and it suddenly hit him that the last time he hugged or touched Ward was back before the death of Sarah. This saddened him and it was made more intense when he realized how touch starved Ward seemed to be. Through tears, he heard Ward as plain as day. "I wish you were my father!"_

_Wendell held Ward close and let the kid cry into his shoulder. He had no idea what the issues were between Harold and Ward. Listening to Harold, it seemed like they had a normal father/sin relationship, barring some rebelliousness and disciplinary behavior over the death of Ward's mother. However, Ward never opened up to him, so he never got the whole picture. He didn't want to, considering Ward tended to bully and pick on his own son. He held bias against the young teen and he knew Heather was close to giving Ward up as a lost cause. But it was clear that ignoring Ward and his problems wasn't working either. Now he wondered what was going on between Harold and Ward or if it was just more teenage rebellion._

_"Shhh, it'll be okay Ward."_

_"No, it won't."_

_He didn't know why Ward seemed so helpless. "If you tell me what's going on maybe I can help."_

_Ward frowned, he'd never told another soul. It was one of those shameful secrets that Ward couldn't bear to discuss. Certainly not with a man that was best friends with the monster that abused him so frequently. Wendell didn't even notice his friend for what he truly was. He started shaking his head no when he realized he wasn't going to tell Wendell Rand anything. He probably wouldn't believe him anyway._

_"I promise Ward, that whatever you say to me will remain between us."_

_This had been the wrong thing to say. On top of his already grave misgivings about talking to Wendell, Ward hadn't even thought about what would happen if Mr. Rand did talk to Harold or if Harold caught wind of it some other way. And he would, and then there would be true hell raining on him. He shook his head, shrugging. "It's nothing....Never mind."_

_The abrupt mood change did seem strange to Wendell and he had to wonder if his wife was right about Ward. "Ward." He started, needing to know. "I know you and Danny don't always get along and a lot of that has to do with your age difference. Plus you two see each other far too often, which can breed resentment."_

_Ward discreetly wiped away his tears, not understanding the direction Wendell was driving at._

_"And I sympathize if there is something wrong. Just because you and Danny have a rocky relationship doesn't mean we can't talk. But if this is some kind of stunt to get attention, just because it's Danny's birthday-"_

_Ward tried to violently push Wendell away, but with the injuries he had, and being smaller and weaker then Wendell, it proved fruitless. Wendell knew he hadn't asked or handled the situation well. He held Ward tighter to keep him from struggling but he instinctively backed off when he heard Ward shout in pain. Being free of the embrace, Ward staggered away. His voice was sour,"Yeah, sure. I just wanted to rain on precious Danny's big day. Because I'm THAT asshole."_

_"Ward, language!" Wendell scolded, never getting the chance to ask if he was hurt._

_Ward stormed out of the room and ran into Danny. The fell onto a heap on the floor, and Danny was in heaven for two seconds. Until he saw Ward's pained face. Once he was able to get control of the throbbing in his side, Ward began to get off of Danny._

_"Ward?" Danny asked in a scared voice._

_Ward offered his hand to Danny, and helped the blonde up. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"_

_He didn't know why things were still awkward between them. It was just a bit of hand holding, that was perfectly normal and natural._

_"No." Danny sniffled,"Did I hurt you?"_

_"Hmmm? No." He saw Danny's unbelieving eyes. "You didn't cause this. Ran into the door earlier at my apartment when I was getting ready to come here. But I'm fine, really."_

_When Danny didn't smile, didn't seem to believe or trust him, Ward pulled him into a hug and distracted him, instead. "Hey. Happy Birthday, Danny." Danny wrapped his arms around Ward, lapping up any bit of kindness that Ward was willing to give him. "My present is probably not as good as Joy's-"_

_"I wish it had been you." Danny spoke without thinking and prayed to any higher power out there that Ward had not heard him._

_"I-"_

_"That wasn't....I didn't mean it the way it came out. You're hurt....and....and..we can just forget it."_

_"It's your birthday. So whatever you want." Ward let the outburst slide off, like Danny had wanted and walked around him._

_Danny pouted, feeling like he had missed some kind of opportunity, that he had missed out on something amazing. If they hadn't held hands, and if Ward hadn't shown him a week ago that there was at least a friendship between them he would have let Ward walk away. "Wait Ward. Maybe...I...lied. Maybe, that is...I want a kiss, a better one." Danny was flushed, acting more bold and empowered then he'd ever felt before. But it was his birthday after all, and he was willing to bet a kiss from Ward would be ten times better then the one from Joy. He liked Joy well enough, but his feelings for her were new. Ward, he'd been crushing on for longer then he himself was comfortable with admitting._

_Ward gazed backward, but when he caught sight of Wendell hiding in the doorway he turned red, and ran down the stairs. Danny's eyes watered but it all made sense when he saw his father there. "You really like him, don't you son?" He wandered over to his dad and Wendell put a comforting hand on his shoulder._

_"I...wish he liked me. I..."_

_"I'm sure he does son. Perhaps, not the way you want him to, but you never know." He squeezed his son's shoulder in reassurance._

_"I thought he did, but he hates me, doesn't he?"_

_"Danny, my being here embarrassed him. It had nothing to do with you, I'm sure. Ward, I think was hurt or has other things on his mind. I bet, in a few years time, you'll have both of the Meachum siblings competing for your affection."_

_Danny wanted to believe that, and he knew he'd probably have weird dreams about that later, but his father's other words subdued him and he quietly agreed. "You're right. Ward was in a lot of pain. He told me he ran into the wall." Danny chuckled softly. "He falls a lot."_

_Wendell's smile had faltered at that and his eyes became more hooded. It may have been nothing, but Wendell's warning bells were going off. "He falls a lot?" At Danny's shrug, he asked,"How many times has Ward fallen?"_

_Danny counted on one hand,"Mmm...maybe four times."_

_Wendell started to feel relief from his wild suspicions. "Only four times? That's normal. I'm surprised he hasn't fallen more often."_

_"I'd say so for Ward." Danny giggled softly at the last story Joy had told him about Ward's clumsiness. "I maybe trip or fall once a week. Joy always calls him a klutz, for good reason."_

_The frown returned and his suspicions over Harold returned. Not Harold. He didn't want to believe it. However, even he couldn't ignore the differences he saw in Harold since the death of Sarah. He needed to pay more attention to Harold and Ward, he'd make a point of that. "He falls four times a week?" Wendell still asked for clarification._

_"I guess. Usually more." Danny gazed at his father, starting to question and wonder what he really wanted to know._

_"Have you seen Ward fall?"_

_Danny frowned, being faced with these questions that made him uncomfortable._

_"Danny..."_

_"N-nno....Whhh-Why?" Danny swallowed uneasily, suddenly wishing that Ward was around. "He...He's not making it up! I....I've seen....I...the bruises...I sa-aaa-saw..." Danny started to tear up again and Wendell wrapped him in his arms and hugged him tightly. "Is...Is Ward okay?"_

_Wendell patted the top of his son's head. "Of course he is, son. I didn't mean to upset you, especially on your birthday. Come on. Let's go open some of your presents. I bet your mother is wondering where you are."_

_This did cheer up Danny, but not nearly as much as Wendell had hoped it would._

* * *

 

The sight that greeted her was not something she had been expecting. Colleen had told her that Ward and Danny were at her Dojo. But she expected there to be arguing or a tense silence. Laughter was the furthest thing from her mind and it shocked her to see and hear it. It had been so long since she even saw Ward smile sincerely, that she couldn't process the image. Danny was also grinning at Ward, but that wasn't anything new. It had momentarily flung her back to their younger years and suddenly it didn't feel so foreign to her. When Danny started throwing punches at Ward and Ward was blocking them, it brought her back to reality. As much as she expected them to be fighting, she inherently knew their easy-going nature and their open behavior was not classified under fighting. They were sparring, and it was another strange thing to see. Joy stood there watching the two guys for several minutes before Colleen broke into her thoughts.

"I take it, you and Danny were close."

"Huh?"

"Well, you haven't stopped staring at him since you got in."

Joy flushed slightly as she allowed her longer hair to fall over her shoulders and into her face. It gave her a temporary shield from her embarrassment. "He may have barged into our building the other day unannounced, but that was before I knew it was Danny. This is really the first time I'm seeing him in fifteen years."

Colleen saw the tinted cheeks and she couldn't decide what to make of Joy. She seemed like a sweet and nice girl, despite her fame and riches. However, she felt that same ugly emotion she had seeing Ward and Danny together earlier.

"You must have been deeply saddened by his death."

Joy nodded stiffly, but would not comment to a complete stranger how his death had affected her childhood. "I have to tell you, his return was a complete shock. I'm still reeling over it."

"I can't even imagine."

Joy regarded the woman briefly before watching the men sparring. "I was close with him." She could not tear her eyes away from Danny. He needed some work, of course, but beneath the baggy clothes and the scruffy beard was a very attractive man. Joy could almost see the boy he use to be and she desperately wanted to get reacquainted with him.

After another evaded attack, Danny finally caught sight of Joy and Ward saw his sister a few seconds later. "Joy!" Danny grinned,"You got my message?"

Joy's eyes didn't waver and they certainly didn't notice Ward standing just to the right of him. Tears came to her eyes that she couldn't ignore and she ran forward. Danny and Joy hugged each other and Ward stood awkwardly to the side. He wanted so much, but he had to face up to the fact that Harold would crush any good influence in his life. Perhaps it was best if he let Danny go, and let Joy have him. "Ward, what's with the head wrap?" Joy asked nervously, once she finally did see him.

Ward shrugged as a lie came easily to his lips,"It's to keep the sweat out of my eyes. Why? Is it not fashionable enough?"

She rolled her eyes,"Considering what you're wearing right now..."

He started to crack a grin, but when her attention went right back to Danny, his smile faded and he wandered over to the side. Joy still had her arms around Danny and she snuggled in close. Her voice was much more hushed, but they weren't in a place of privacy.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shhhh." Danny held her close. "Why are you sorry?"

"I didn't believe you. I should have known who you were. I treated you poorly. You were my best friend...I'm sorry."

"Under the circumstances, you treated me fine. I was a total stranger. I'm the one that should be apologizing. I had forced myself into your building. I scared you and lashed out at you. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

As the two conversed, Ward sighed softly.

"What's wrong?" Colleen asked; she had joined Ward without Ward even realizing it.

He shrugged,"Welcome to the Danny and Joy show."

"You sound jealous."

Ward gave Colleen part of his attention, as he raised his eyebrow up in question. There was no pretense to say otherwise. Colleen had interrupted the in a very embarrassing position. "I've known him a long time or...at least I knew him."

"That's not an answer." She did see how much trouble he was having. Either he couldn't or wouldn't say the words. "If it means anything, Danny had been really worried about you when he brought you here after you were attacked." Colleen spotted the grin that Ward tried to hide and it made her opinion of Ward a little less hostile. "Has he changed much from when he was younger?"

"Yes...and no." Ward spoke ambiguously.

"You can't leave me hanging like that." She smirked softly. "What was he like?"

"You sound like you're interested in him for reasons beyond normal."

"Nothing....like that."

Ward nodded unconvinced,"Well he's still got that wide eyed innocence vibe. And he still has Joy eating out of the palm of his hand. Those two things haven't changed."

Ignoring the obvious jealousy, she asked. "So what's the deal with them?"

"Best friends. Joy and Danny even made a pact that they'd get married one day."

"Sounds serious."

Ward leaned back against the wall behind him,"Kids say all kinds of shit."

Desperate to change the subject, Colleen shifted the topic. "I don't know how much you remember of last night."

"Not much."

With his dark eyes now on her, she felt uncomfortable asking. "Well..." She shrugged and cracked a self-deprecating grin. "Never mind."

"No, go on."

"It's stupid. I was just going to tell you your life is now mine." The moment she said it she knew it had been a mistake. They had been finding common ground and things were almost friendly between them.

Ward pulled away and a coldness seeped into his tone of voice. "I haven't forgotten that I'm in your debt. You will be compensated. We can iron out the details now, or we can get together and discuss it later."

With nothing else to say, Colleen spoke softly. "Later is fine."

He got up and moved away and his rummaging around snapped Danny and Joy away from each other. Joy watched Ward disappear into the next room and she began to head in that direction. "I'll be right back, I just need to talk to Ward real quick."

With Colleen and Danny left alone, he asked if she wished to spar and she grinned and took him up on his offer.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Joy spoke as soon as she was in the room with the door closed. "Is this what you've been doing for the last day and a half?"

"Relax Joy."

"Relax? Tell me, what was so important that you couldn't call and tell me what you were up to, or at least tell me you were okay? You didn't even call to tell me that our intruder was the real Danny! How long have you known?"

"I was..." He paused and realized there was nothing good that he could come up with or think of. The question had taken him completely by surprise and his defenses were down. He couldn't even think of an excuse to make him sound like a jerk.

The hesitance had annoyed Joy. "I had to cover for you at work again."

That had sobered Ward pretty quickly. "How is it at Rand?"

She crossed her arms, clearly far from being done with scolding him. "Just wonderful. We all got over all our differences and threw a party."

"Joy-"

"They think you're recovering from a nasty fall. Considering how terrible you had been acting a few days ago, they believed me. But I can't keep lying for you, you need to get your priorities straight. I'm not going to run Rand by myself, I need you. The board will never admit it, but they need you too."

"Okay Joy. I get it." Ward grabbed his only article of clothing, and made a cursory search for his car keys. "I'll be at work tomorrow, no more stumbling around. I'll have my head on straight and completely into our business."

"Good." Joy huffed, before her eyes finally softened. She hated when things were tense between them, which sadly was becoming more normal recently. She did give Ward a confused look while his back was turned. "Is that Danny's shirt?"

Ward felt his cheeks grow hot, and he kept his back to her. He did not need Joy making fun of him for blushing on top of everything else. "Yeah. He...uhh...was teaching me some basic moves, and I didn't have anything with enough mobility for what he wanted to teach me."

Joy laughed as she went back towards the door, parting with one final joke. "Sounds like a flimsy excuse to get you undressed."

* * *

 

Madame Gao sat in a brown wingback chair with a cup in one hand and her cane resting between her legs. She sipped quietly on her coffee as she observed the video that one of her employees had brought to her attention. She gave no emotions away as she watched the video to its conclusion. "So the reports are true then." She finally spoke.

The short brown-haired man nodded his head,"This is irrefutable evidence."

She took a long sip of her coffee, before she leaned forward. "The question remains. Why is the Iron Fist here in New York?"

Her subordinate was stumped and didn't know how to answer her. "He appears to be getting help. Is he recruiting allies now?"

Madame Gao rewound the video, in order to witness the young man who had provided the Iron Fist with backup. She recognized him upon closer scrutiny and an enigmatic smirk played out on her face. "In any case, this will make things interesting."

A single eyebrow raised, but he didn't dare ask what she had meant by that.

"Do we have any idea who the assailants are?"

He froze in fear, but recovered quickly. Gao usually had knowledge at her fingertips and when she didn't, she rarely admitted to her own ignorance. "None yet. There have been no clues and no leads. We'll continue to look into it."

She nodded her head, as she relaxed back in her chair and drank more of her coffee. "Very interesting, indeed."

"And...what of his ally?"

Gao waved him away. "Don't concern yourself with him. One of my underlings has an eye on him. Currently, he's under control, but if his association with the Iron Fist changes things. Well, it'll be fascinating to see how this all plays out."

* * *

 

Colleen stood outside a few miles from the Dojo. "Are you sure? That woman in Rand. Joy Meachum, and her brother Ward Meachum." The names were still new to her, despite them being a popular duo in the city,"They are both sure that he's Danny Rand. That rich kid that died fifteen years ago."

She started to pace as she listened to Bakuto. "In my opinion, No. He's harmless. It feels wrong not to tell him." Her eyes closed and she swallowed uneasily. "Yes. I'll keep him close. Can I ask you something?" When she got Bakuto's approval, she continued. "Well, Danny claims he and Ward got attacked by two men wearing dark clothing. Do you know anything about that?"

There was brief silence on the other end, before Bakuto answered. Unfortunately, he didn't have any answers for her and Colleen couldn't hide her disappointment. "Do you think you could ask around and do a little digging? I'm curious." Colleen wanted to know if it was an attack of something greater. Something to be worried about. She did sigh in relief before a grin replaced her sullen features. "Thank you Sensei. I'll keep you updated. Yes. Thanks. Talk to you later, bye."

She ended the phone call, before continuing on her way. Less than five minutes later, Claire stepped out of one of the alleyways. Colleen had swung her fist at her friend, but Claire blocked the attack easily. "Woah, Colleen calm down. It's just me."

Colleen gaped at Claire,"What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?"

"For starters, I wasn't sneaking up on you. You're really paranoid today." Claire waited until Colleen had calmed down. "Is this because of Danny and Ward getting attacked?"

Colleen nodded her head solemnly. "There's been an increase of violence lately, but I've managed to keep all my students safe. Now, suddenly I have two guys in my Dojo after surviving an attack." She sighed and fell in line beside Claire. "Did I open up my Dojo to potential attacks? How safe are my students? I mean, what if the men who attacked them isn't finished with them? Do I really want them staying at my Dojo where all my students are?"

"Well maybe they're after Ward, that guy has to have plenty of enemies, and you'' soon be rid of that rich guy."

Colleen shook her head,"Don't joke. Danny really likes Ward, and I think he likes Danny. I'm willing to give him a chance."

Claire wasn't as persuaded. "Well, I'd still proceed cautiously. I'm convinced he staged that attack or that he's up to something." She shrugged her shoulders,"On the bright side, this should solve your immediate financial concerns."

"How so?"

"You helped one of the richest men in the whole city."

"You did most of the work."

"That doesn't matter. If I were you I would milk this for all it's worth." Colleen bit her bottom lip, feeling uncomfortable with that suggestion. Claire bumped her shoulder,"Oh come on. At the very least, he knows he owes you. So eke what you can from his gratitude. If he has any, that is."

She did admit o some reservations about Ward, but from what little she learned from him, he seemed more damaged then jaded, but she wasn't the best at reading others. "I'm sure he'll find a way to pay me back and before you start in on me, yes. I'll be sure to remind him so he doesn't forget."

"Good girl." Claire grinned before grabbing Colleen and pulling her along. "I think I know just the place to cheer you up."

She went along with Claire, but when it became apparent where they were headed, Colleen slowed down. "A fight club, Claire? I don't think that's the best idea."

"Are you worried? I've seen you fight."

"That's not it. It just goes against what I was trained. I shouldn't be fighting for money."

Claire side-hugged her friend,"If you won't guilt Ward into giving you money; you don't have a whole lot of options left. That Dojo and those students mean so much to you Colleen. I don't want you to have to give it up, but I'm not going to force you to do something uncomfortable either."

After another beat, Colleen made her decision. and Claire followed Colleen as they made their way to the fighting cage.

* * *

 

Ward fidgeted as he waited for the elevator, not knowing he was being followed. He was nervous about meeting with his father after spending all night and all day with Danny-never giving his father an update. The last time he saw Harold, he had tried to force himself on him. Then their last phone call, he had lied to his father. Ward knew it was absurd to think Harold would find out he lied and beat him for it. But the man had eyes everywhere it seemed, and it made Ward paranoid. Did he know? Had he seen Danny and him in the Dojo wrestling? He had felt safe with Danny, so he had to believe that for once Harold's eyes hadn't been on him. He knew he wasn't living up to Harold's expectations of help. And there was bound to be some sort of punishment for ignoring his other calls and not calling back. He was always doing something wrong, that was in need of punishing.

Ward just hoped he'd survive it with some of his dignity. When the doors chimed, Ward jumped at the loud noise, but quickly recovered and sauntered onto the elevator. He hit the top floor and then braced himself for the slow climb to the top. Ward had since taken the wrap and bandage off of his head and had disposed of them before leaving the Dojo. He didn't want Harold asking any questions about it, nor did he want to show weakness. He refocused on the present, not wanting to get lost in the past. However, this did not ease his worries and he felt the dread as soon as he got off the elevator and entered Harold's penthouse. A penthouse that he saw more of then his own apartment, but it was anything but safe. As soon as he entered, it seemed quieter than normal.

"Dad?" Ward cringed when his own voice sounded high pitched and unsure. He stepped into the main area, but saw no sign of Harold. "Kyle?" He prompted, in case the kid was pulling another all-nighter with his dad; he was there often enough. Yet, Ward got no response from him either.

A figure approached him from behind and scared the piss out of him. "What are you doing here so late?"

Ward spun around at his father's voice. "You told me to keep you updated and after missing some of your calls, I didn't want you to get the wrong impression."

"The wrong impression? Of you purposely ignoring me?"

He wasn't sure he liked where this was going. "Exactly. I didn't want you thinking that, which is why I came over. I also...needed a favor."

Harold gave Ward an expectant look,"Go on."

"I need some money." He frowned when he heard Harold's bark of laughter.

"Whatever for?"

Ward's eyes down-casted when he tried to think of a way to word what had happened without giving too much away. "I ran into a bit of trouble and some girl was nice enough to help me. I just want to repay the favor the only way I can. With money."

Harold's laughter had died,"What kind of trouble?" Ward grew silent and Harold barely heard Wards 'I'd rather not say' response. Instead of pushing his son, Harold walked around him and changed the subject. "Joy secured that Pier with Patel. The one I asked you to take care of."

"Yeah, she told me."

"She's been sticking up a lot for you lately Ward. You're really lagging behind at Rand and Joy can only do so much."

"Joy already lectured me about all this."

Harold glanced back, his eyes telling Ward that he should shut up and pay attention, if he knew what was good for him. "Well then. Maybe you need to hear it from me. You need to turn things around soon or the other board members are going to take notice."

"I'll get on that. The business with the possible Danny Rand impostor was what I was focusing on, but I'll redouble my efforts and I'll do better at Rand. I promise."

Harold nodded, but with his head turned away, it was difficult to know if Harold believed him. "Speaking of Danny Rand, what have you learned on that front?"

That was the moment he was dreading. Did he keep up with the lie he had told his dad before, protecting Danny but leaving himself vulnerable to attack if Harold learned of his deception? Or did he tell the truth to save his own skin and betray Danny's confidence? He swallowed hard, before he stood up straight. "Nothing. After I dropped the charges on him, I went to the police station to pick him up, but he had already left. I've been looking for him since, but it's a big city. He could be anywhere by now, if he's even still in the city."

"I see. So you think he's in the wind and won't be returning?"

Ward followed Harold's progress to his fancy laptop, with multiple screens. "I didn't say that. He could just be laying low after getting arrested. How am I suppose to know the inner workings of a crazy man?"

Harold started clacking away on his keyboard and when beckoned, Ward begrudgingly and cautiously went over to where Harold sat. He pulled up a few images and Ward stared at them blankly. They were of the gay club he had taken Danny to the night before. He saw one image of Danny dancing with Brandon, another of him ordering drinks and on the biggest screen was the point in the night where Danny was snuggled up on Ward's good side.

"You see. After you were attacked at that club the other night, I had my friends grant me access to the video camera's that are installed there. Plus a few extra's."

He had failed the test and all he could do was stand there and watch the biggest screen. Harold turned the volume up and he could hear himself ask Danny how he survived the plane crash. So Harold heard everything, he knew about the monks and Kun'Lun. Harold backed out of the monitors and shut them down. "So Ward, why are you lying to me, son?"

The second their eyes met, Ward took off at a run. He tried to reach the door, but a large hand wrapped around the back of his neck. Force and momentum knocked Ward to the ground and all the lessons Danny and Colleen had taught him vanished. Only to be replaced by this mind numbing fear. Harold landed on top of him and he gasped out when he felt Harold's hand in his hair, rubbing against the injury there. "You think you're protecting him, aren't you?"

"Get off me." Ward wiggled, but was too tired to put up a real fight.

"I asked a simple thing, Ward. And you couldn't even do that?!" Harold stood up, and Ward scrambled to his feet as fast as he could. He didn't make another attempt to bolt again. "How can I trust you to ever obey me, again?"

Ward faced his father, and it didn't matter what he was going to say. Harold smacked him hard across his face, before he had a chance to rebuttal Harold's questions. Ward did stagger and he folded in on himself from the hit, but he stayed on his feet. His hand flew up to his face reflexively, but an outside noise grabbed the attention of the Meachum men. It had sounded like someone was trying to scale the side of the building; only that was preposterous. Ward was pushed in the direction of the noise and he sighed as he went to checkout what was out there.

Sure enough, he saw a hand read up, searching for something to grip onto. It found the window sill and used it to secure themselves. Running on instinct, Ward opened the window and forcefully pushed them off. His heart was racing after the fact, scared he had just sent someone falling to their death. A surprised male screech elevated Ward's stress, and his mouth went dry. The yelp had ended and Ward mustered the courage to look out the window. Down below, a man hung on to a thin rail and blonde curls blew in the wind. No.

He had spent so long keeping Harold a secret and within two days of Danny returning, that secret was out. Now it'd be even harder to keep Danny away and safe from Harold. Danny's blue eyes turned onto Ward though they quickly widened in fear as he began to lose his grip. "Danny!" Ward was alarmed, and despite the awkward moment and realization that he'd nearly killed Danny, he still reached out. He hadn't been fast enough, nor was he logically within reach of Danny, but Danny had let go with one hand to try and grab a hold of Ward, regardless. He yelled out as he fell, only to hit the ledge below and was immediately knocked out.

It was daylight, when Danny finally came to, there was an ice pack under his head, he was laying on a comfortable couch, but he was groggy as hell. He moaned out in pain as he slowly sat up, wondering if Ward had felt similar after his head injury. "You're finally awake."

Danny gazed over to Ward, his look of happiness was soon replaced by annoyance. "Did you knock me out of the window?"

"Yes. It's what you do when a stranger is trying to break in." He folded his arms, getting slightly annoyed himself. "Why were you even climbing up the side of the building? Did you not think to use the front door?" Ward sighed. "Were you following me?"

Danny ignored his questions and made an awe-inspiring noise as he gazed around the fancy apartment. "Is this where you live?"

Luckily, Ward had all night to cover up any blemishes where Harold may have hit him, though with Danny laying peacefully in the livingroom, Harold surprisingly left Ward alone most of the night to tend to Danny. "I thought you had decided to bunk with Colleen for the time being. If you wanted to see where I lived, why didn't you just ask me?"

"After..." Danny blushed,"What happened. I didn't want to give you the wrong impression."

Danny stood up and began to move around and inspect things, which did put Ward on edge. His father may have been content to leave him and Danny alone during the night, but now that Danny was awake and alert, it was only a matter of time before Harold made his big entrance.

"Wow. This place is huge. Very nice. I see you got what you wanted..."

"It's not mine." Ward spoke awkwardly.

"Hello, Danny." Harold came around one of the corners, and Danny was dazed.

He couldn't believe his eyes when he took in the full sight of Harold. "But...you're suppose to be dead."

"So are you." Harold remarked.

Danny's eyes weren't playing tricks on him, he didn't think. "You're not dead?" His eyes went to Ward and he saw the look of betrayal and distrust. "But I was told you were...I saw pictures."

Ward had to look away from Danny. He turned his big expressive eyes back to Harold and both men saw the pure emotion coming off of Danny. His upper body shook as he gazed at Harold. "Uncle Harold." Even as Danny spoke, disbelief still oozing out of his tone of voice, Ward could see Danny would forgive any perceived deception that Harold would give him.

It was all very likely that Danny would turn any anger or resentment onto Ward. He sighed softly under his breath, knowing it didn't matter. All that mattered was keeping Danny away from Harold; from his evil.

"Danny?" His father asked sweetly and he saw Danny fall for the tone as he began to close the gap between them.

"You're all I've got." Danny's voice cracked and Ward was pained to hear it.

"Daniel Rand, you've been gone for fifteen years. You should tell me all about it, now that you're home and finally among family."

That seemed to be Danny's Achilles heel and Ward watched as his friend almost cried and a relieved expression broke out on his face. Harold opened his arms to Danny, and the blonde rushed into his embrace. Ward's head bowed, shielding himself from the view, he had to. It hurt too much seeing them hug, it also made his stomach flop uncomfortably. Movement caught his eye however, and though Ward knew better, he glanced back up.

Harold held his gaze and showed him he knew how much it was hurting him. Harold put one hand in Danny's hair as he discreetly smelled the thick blonde curls. His stomach lurched, he baled up his fists and gritted his teeth. Danny didn't seem to notice and somehow that made Ward feel worse. It was like no time at all had passed and he was back in his childhood apartment, witnessing Harold trying to feel up a nine year old Danny, who had remained blissfully unaware. And as if to drive the nail harder in, Harold whispered loud enough for Ward to hear. "Welcome home, Danny."

"I've been waiting to hear that for so long." Danny's voice broke with emotion.

Ward felt his world cave in on him when Harold laid the blame at his feet. "Really? You mean to tell me Ward didn't welcome you back?" There was a muffled no. "Not even after I told him I thought it was definitely you and advised him he should publicly acknowledge you as Danny Rand. I even suggested to him to bring you back into the company that is rightfully half yours."

Ward shouldn't have been surprised, but he wasn't prepared for the intensity of his own emotions when he saw Danny's face of complete enmity. If he denied it and told Danny that Harold was the one lying, he suspected Danny would believe in Harold's act and lies rather than in him. Their past was too tumultuous for Danny to start relying on and trusting him now. "I'm slow to trust." His brusque, asshole tone came out. It was met by Harold's smug expression, and Danny's bitterness and anger from so long ago, began to peek out once more.


	13. Cum Autem Diaboli

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware of the mature warnings for this chapter and enjoy!

Tearing himself away from Harold's embrace, Danny turned his ire onto Ward. "You were instructed and advised by Harold, Ward?" There was deafening silence that followed. There was a tic in Wards cheek as he clenched his jaw. Danny didn't care and continued onward. "How long have you known he's been alive?"

"How is that any of your business?" Ward sneered.

"How?" Danny's voice raised. "You lied to me. I was looking for Harold and you lied to me. What else have you lied to me about?" He started to encroach into Ward's space and the brunette backed up a few steps.

Harold smirked as his dark eyes bounced from Danny to Ward and back again. They were too wrapped up in each other to notice his sinister smile. And while Harold would have been content to watch his two boys fight, and they were both his now, he decided to intervene. Interjecting now would help reaffirm his authority, not to mention he knew Danny would be more sympathetic if he acted like the concerned and protective father. "Now boys, settle down." He chuckled softly,"Fifteen years later and you two are still at it."

Danny backed down, allowing Ward to relax slightly, but his eyes were still blazing with anger. "Joy doesn't know." Ward inserted.

However, this only confused Danny and furthered the increasing gap between them. And to think, they had started to make strides to fix what they had endured from their past relationship. "It's true." Harold parroted when he saw Danny's confused face. "It took some doing, but I finally convinced them to let me make contact with Ward."

There was a long silence, before Danny finally asked,"Them? Whose them?"

Ward gazed critically at his father, he'd heard his father mention them as his "friends" or business partners, but he knew nothing of those his father was associated with. Ward didn't even know their name. Harold was facing Danny, but he knew he was addressing both of his boys. "They call themselves The Hand." When Danny's eyes grew darker and his body tensed, Harold's lips thinned into a grim line. "I see you've heard of them."

"The Hand?" Ward's brows furrowed,"Who are they?"

"They're a very big organization and very powerful. I don't know how far their reach is, but I'd guess there's not much they couldn't do."

Danny clenched his fists in frustration. "They're the enemy." His voice and statement was so matter of fact.

He was so certain of it, and Harold used that to his own advantage. "The Hand won't let me talk to my little girl. I can't see her or even let her know I'm still alive or they'll kill her. They've kept me a virtual prisoner here. I can't leave."

Ward rolled his eyes at the over dramatics of it. But he realized Danny was not. His hardened face had turned completely sympathetic. It was revolting to see Danny falling for his father's charms. "You'll help me, won't you Danny?"

Ward observed in horror as Danny went back to Harold and hugged the older man. "Of course I'll help Harold."

Ward just couldn't believe what he was seeing. Danny didn't know anything he had endured by that man's hands, but he couldn't believe Danny didn't sense something off or wrong with him. Danny was raised by monks and believed in chi...and mystic mumbo-jumbo that Ward couldn't wrap his mind around and yet thought Harold was still a good guy?

"Ward." Harold spoke in a commanding voice. It captured Ward's attention, but he avoided Danny's harsh gaze. "I want to see you and Joy getting together to discuss bringing Danny onto the Board of Directors for Rand."

"What?" He had asked too harshly. "Danny is a fighter, he knows nothing about business."

"And you do?" Harold warned. "Without my advice, you would have destroyed Rand by now."

Ward flinched and immediately backed down. Harold continued, once he was satisfied that his son was relearning his place. "Besides I think The Hand has infiltrated the company and Danny would be able to investigate and learn if they're there and what they've been up to. Keep Danny up to date on the business end of things, but that is not where I want his main focus to be."

Ward sighed,"How am I suppose to convince the other board members of this?"

"You and Joy will think of something."

Ward started heading for the door. "Then I guess we should find Joy immediately. That way we can come up with some sort of strategy to get Danny into the company with little resistance." If nothing else, he could get Danny out of the Penthouse sooner. There was some reluctance and Ward stubbornly refused to glance back. But he finally heard Danny following behind him. Ward wasn't looking forward to the awkwardness that would ensue once they were alone together. But he had to assume it'd be a step up from being around Harold. Ironically it was far worse going down in the elevator than Ward could have imagined. He felt Danny's eyes blaze into him and after a few moments he couldn't take it anymore, and snapped. "Don't give me that look Danny."

Feeling perturbed enough Danny went straight for a low blow. "My first impression of you was spot on. You haven't changed one bit from the self-centered, arrogant prick that I remember. You've gotten everything you've ever dreamed and wanted-"

"Good, then you'll stay away. If you really feel that way, you'll stay away from me and Harold, right?" Anger was sadly something he was accustomed to. It should have troubled Ward that anger was really the only emotion he was familiar with, but he was too damaged by Harold to do anything about it.

Danny on the other hand was perplexed by the seemingly abrupt mood change. A lot of Danny's anger deflated and was replaced by confusion. "Uh...what?"

Ward didn't let up. He was serious and he wanted to drive his point across. "If you're confused then let me rephrase that. I want you to stay away from my father."

This was so absurd that Danny didn't know how to answer Ward. "You don't want me to be around you or your father?"

"Did I stutter?" Ward snarled and then added,"Harold's dangerous-"

"Dangerous?" Danny reiterated.

"Yes. He's bad news and I don't want you getting caught up in the mess he created."

"Bad news?"

Ward felt annoyed at Danny's sudden ability to only copy his words. He glowered as the elevator doors dinged and he stepped off. Danny followed him onto the main floor as they both headed towards the exit. "Just trust me on this."

That seemed to break Danny's broken record. "Trust you? You want me to trust you over what I just learned? Over what you just pulled?"

Ward continued walking all the way until he reached outside. There wasn't a whole lot he could say in retaliation. He expected that kind of reaction, just not that soon. And he knew Joy's reaction would be ten times worse and now that Danny knew...Well Joy finding out was even more likely. "Yeah." Ward finally retorted. "I want you to trust me. I'm still the same Ward you tried training in the Dojo yesterday. Nothing's changed."

Danny grabbed Ward roughly by his arm and spun him around. "Everything's changed!" A few pedestrians did stop and a few glanced up but kept walking. Danny didn't seem to care that he was making a scene, and Ward was angry that Danny had grabbed him so roughly without a single thought to him. As if the past two days had meant nothing to Danny. "How long have you been lying to me Ward?" Danny hissed. "Oh my god." Danny's eyes suddenly went wide,"Is that why you dropped the charges and picked me up at the Police station? Did Harold ask you to get me out?"

When Ward gave him nothing but a steely silence, his anger flared. "Did he?"

Ward didn't say anything, but he did try to free himself from Danny's grip,"Let go Danny or so help me."

"What? You'll call the police on me again? Harold asked you to free me from the jail cell. If it had been up to you, you would have left me to rot in prison."

Ward glanced around, noticing the small crowd pretending not to listen to their argument. "Keep your voice down." Ward tried to warn.

Danny narrowed his eyes but did give Ward that much cooperation. "Has it all been an act since you picked me up at the station?"

Ward almost broke then, but managed to keep his emotions in check. "Would you believe any answer I give?"

Not getting the right answer, or the one he wanted to hear, Danny's grip tightened on Ward's arm. "You used me. Didn't you?"

Ward winced and tried again to get Danny to release him. "Stop. Danny your hurting me."

Danny instantly let go of Ward and despite being upset with him; Danny felt as bad as he had when he had scared Joy in the Rand building. "Ward-"

"Don't even try to apologize."

Danny yelled out in frustration, when it was obvious that Ward would never accept his apology. Thankfully, Ward didn't flinch from Danny. What came as a surprise to both of them was that a woman passing by got between them. It was Joy and she was exasperated and flushed. Either she had ran to get in between the fighting men or was feeling anger herself at the situation. "What's going on here? What is wrong with the two of you?"

Not only was Danny staring daggers at him, but so was Joy. Things were put into perspective and Ward admitted that with Danny back in their lives things hadn't changed. Joy had no idea what was going on, but she had rushed between them just like old times and had already decided his guilt. "I see you're already siding with Danny before you've even learned what's going on. Why don't you do us both a favor and stay out of this Joy?"

She had no idea what had come over her, but she had been growing tired of the way Ward had been treating her recently. Joy snapped and struck out at Ward's condescending attitude. She had slapped him across his face, unbeknownst to her, in the exact same manner Harold had the previous night. Ward was too stunned to move or to speak. The anger was still on the surface and Ward could do nothing but stand there and face it.

"Maybe when you stop treating me like a child. When you grow up and stop acting like an ass. Maybe then I'll be on your side."

"Up until yesterday, you thought Danny was a psychotic criminal...and you-"

"He's not a criminal." Joy protested. "He's my friend and he's family. And he still treats me better then you do." She grabbed Danny's hand,"Come on Danny. I need some time away from him."

"Of course Joy." Danny replied, and Ward saw the lingering disappointment in Danny's eyes as they walked away.

Ward rubbed at his sore cheek as he gazed around at the people who gave him subtle stares. He narrowed his eyes, but chose not to make a further scene and walked back inside the largely empty building. Ward leaned against the nearest wall for support as his head tilted to the ceiling where his father resided. He had seen that same flare in Joy's eyes that he often saw in Harold's, the smack was the same, the disappointment, even her voice had the same inflections. In that one instant, he had seen Harold standing before him, not Joy. Ward worried for the first time that in his obsession to protect Joy from Harold, he naively may have turned her into the very man he spent years guarding her from.

* * *

 

Joy sat across from Danny, both of which were still annoyed but for different reasons. Danny's head was starting to clear up, and there were a few things he had wished he had done differently. Joy flipped through her menu and Danny cleared his throat. "Do you think we may have overreacted with Ward?"

"Are you kidding me? No, he deserves worse. Ward is an asshole, he has not changed at all." Her eyes softened as she observed Danny. "You haven't changed either, Danny. Still loyal and giving Ward the benefit of the doubt. No matter how many times he lets you down or shows you time and time again how much hate he has for you."

Danny moved his menu to the side,"We always had a complicated relationship, Joy. But Ward didn't hate me." Danny couldn't believe that, not after everything.

Anger and hate were two different emotions and it wouldn't help matters if he conflated the two. Clearly, Joy didn't believe him, but she had seen their relationship from a different perspective. "So what was the fight about?"

"He uhh...lied to me."

Joy reached over and held his hand,"Sorry, Danny. Maybe you should just leave Ward alone for now. He wasn't worth it when you guys were younger and he's definitely not worth it now."

He squeezed her hand, but it wasn't the same as holding Ward's hand. It occurred to him, that that was exactly what Ward wanted him to do. To leave him and Harold alone. Perhaps he was getting too close to something or Ward thought he was protecting him in his own way. He chastised himself for not thinking of that possibility in the first place and letting his emotions get the better of him. He removed his hand from Joys. "No. I have to see him and talk to him. I didn't let him explain himself, I owe him that much."

Joy sighed, feeling like she was watching Danny make all the same mistakes. "I think you're making a mistake."

"I'm not, and I'll talk with him today at Rand."

"Oh...? You scheduled an appointment?"

Danny licked at his lips. "No. I didn't think I'd need one. Especially after Ward told me I was going to be back on the Board."

Joy's eyes went wide at that. "What? Ward told you what?"

"Is there a problem? Joy, half the company belonged to my father. I have every right to be part of the company."

"That's not it Danny. Ward can be an ass, but he never would make that kind of a decision without running it by me first."

They were momentarily disrupted when the waitress came over to take their order. However, as soon as she had left they picked back up where they had left off. Joy had also sent Ward a text, while Danny was ordering food. Danny was a little suspicious, but took the initiative to press Joy a little more. "You mean to tell me Ward runs by all his decisions to you first? This is Ward. I'm sure he's made choices for the company without your approval before."

Joy's face hardened. "He makes decisions I don't agree with all the time...and when he's made up his mind, very rarely can you change his mind. But he always keeps me in the loop. He would have told me, if he was going to announce your return to the Board. Even if he had already made up his mind about it, he still would have said something to me first."

Danny tried to replay the night and that morning in his head, all the way to when Harold broke the news of him getting his fair share of the company. Maybe he had missed something. Unfortunately, most of his attention had been on Harold and on his own emotions. Was it possible that Harold had sprung it up on Ward, and had lied about it? Danny didn't know what Harold would gain from that, but it was certainly possible. After everything he had gone through in his lifetime, he knew things weren't always that clear cut. He continued though to remember the past events, every little detail that he may have overlooked due to his emotions and the intense situation of finding Harold alive.

Only one detail seemed to come to him and it only troubled his inner emotions further. When he was hanging onto the ledge after he had climbed up the side of the building, Ward had leaned out and tried to reach for him. His adrenaline and fear of falling to his death had been all he could think of. However, thinking back on it, he remembered seeing a suspicious red and purple mark on Ward's cheek. He wasn't sure what the implications were, and he wasn't sure he liked what the possible implications were. This only made him want to talk to Ward even more. Soon, the waitress had returned with their breakfast and conversation halted briefly in favor of food.

In between mouthfuls of pancakes, Joy received a text from Ward. "Seems you were right Danny. He is going to give you a seat on the Board."

"You don't seem happy about that."

"He kept me out of the loop...He's never done that before. I don't know what the hell he's doing, but I don't know if I can forgive him this time."

Danny swirled a piece of his pancake in the maple syrup on his plate. _Maybe he didn't tell you, because he didn't know himself._ Instead of saying what he was thinking, Danny gave her an empty platitude. "Maybe he had a good reason for not telling you. You could always ask."

Joy shook her head,"I'm done listening to his excuses."

"At the very least, you should apologize for hitting him." That had gotten her, he saw the guilt flash in her eyes as she ate another bite of her food.

* * *

 

_Blonde curls were smoothed out as masculine fingers threaded through his hair. They grabbed some of his locks and yanked hard. Danny gasped in pain, his eyes were wide as he looked into Harold's eyes. Disbelief was on his face. He was restrained, and Harold's predatory eyes left little to Danny's imagination. "Uncle Harold, please."_

_"Begging already, Daniel?" His voice was soft as he leaned in closer. Danny Rand tensed and moved his head away. He moaned in disgust when Harold's lips pressed against his neck. Harold made a slight 'mmm' noise in the back of his throat. "I want to taste you so bad."_

_He delighted in the shiver that ran through Danny's body. His hand traveled out of Danny's hair, down passed his neck and then across his chest. "Just need to remove these pesky clothes."_

_Danny immediately started to squirm, but wasn't able to do much and before he knew it Harold had cut the shirt off of him and it laid in tatters on the floor. Harold stood back and stared at Danny a few moments. The silent scrutiny made Danny weary. "You've grown into a beautiful man, Danny."_

_Danny was at once offended and scared and he lashed out in the only available way; by spitting at Harold. "Don't-"_

_But Harold didn't listen to him. His hands touched Danny's chest leaving a trail of scorch marks in their wake. He jutted out his upper lip in defiance, but remained silent while Harold's hands rubbed at his chest, tweaked his nipples, and caressed his stomach. "Why are you doing this?" Danny managed to ask when Harold's exploration returned to his chest, focusing on his nipples._

_"Why not? Why shouldn't I, when I've wanted to do this for so long?"_

_Danny closed his eyes and tried to block out what happened next. He felt Harold's tongue and lips upon his chest and felt sick. His eyes squinted even harder to get the sensation off his mind. He tried to calm his turbulent emotions and find his center, in order to meditate. If he could just remove his mind from the problem, he'd be able to cope later; he hoped. It was proving more difficult then Danny thought. When he felt Harold's hand move to fondle his dick through his loose fitting pants, he was snapped back to reality. A broken sob tumbled out of his lips as he tried to jerk backwards away from the touch. His eyes were now wide open and he saw the dangerous leer in Harold's eyes._

_"Stop it! You sick bastard. Ward was right!"_

_Harold growled low in his throat at the mention of his son. His hand tightened around Danny's dick and balls. "Was he now? Bet you wish he was here right now, don't you? You really think he'd care? Do you think he'd actually help you?" Danny was blind-sided by Harold's words and the vice-like grip also had him gasping in pain. Harold's grip became even more restrictive. "Or maybe you wish it was my son's hands on your body? He's just like me, Danny."_

 

 

Ward gasped out, his body was shivering and he covered his face up. He couldn't completely get rid of his daydream and was petrified that it might become a reality. He had seen Harold when Danny was in his arms. He saw how badly Harold wanted or needed to do things to Danny. Ward couldn't stomach it when he was younger and he couldn't stomach it now. Tearing his hands away from his distressed face, he glanced up to the corner. He could not see the camera hidden there, but it was one of a few he knew the location of. His eyes narrowed in determination as he continued to stare in the direction of the hidden camera; in Harold's direction. It wasn't enough of a message, Ward needed to see his father's face, and he couldn't even be sure if Harold was watching him then. He wasn't sure it was a good idea or if he was making the right choice.

It was becoming a possibility that his protection and intervention led Joy to idolize and become just like Harold. He didn't want to do the same to Danny. However, if he just sat back and let Harold go after Danny, knowing he could have done something, that would make him no better then his father. Getting up, he made his way back to the elevator and punched in the level he wanted. Ward wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what he was getting into and what it would lead to. If he truly was the asshole Joy and Danny thought he was, he'd go back down, go about his day and not care as things all played out. The elevator doors opened and Ward made his way over to step back inside the Penthouse. Unfortunately, Ward did care. A little too much. He entered the Penthouse, faking the confidence that he didn't feel.

Harold sipped on some coffee and he gazed up slowly. "Ward, don't you have to be at work? You need to prioritize better son."

Ward straightened out his suit, ignoring that he needed to change and shower badly. "I have a few hours. Don't worry, I got your message loud and clear last night."

Harold wasn't the least bit phased by his son. "If you're here to tell me you're having second thoughts over Danny joining the company; Don't bother." He took another sip of his coffee. "My advice to you, is to get over it. If you can't then bury your objections and never bring them up again."

Ward's jaw tensed. "It is about Danny, but not about the company."

Harold gestured for Ward to take a seat, but Ward hesitated. Finally, he relaxed enough to sit down across from his father. His father would never negotiate with him if he was standing up and putting them both on edge.

"So tell me. What is it?"

"What's it going to take for you to stop seeing Danny?"

Harold tapped the rim of his glass, and oddly, the single movement made Ward nervous. "Stop seeing him?"

Ward started to roll his eyes, but fearful that might hit the wrong button with Harold, he stopped mid-roll. "Push him away. Come up with any bullshit excuse you want, but end it. Give him what he wants for all I care, but I don't-"

" **YOU** don't?"

Ward winced,"It...it was poor wording, but I want to know what it'll cost me to keep Danny out of this Penthouse and out of our lives."

Harold cracked a small grin. "You seem to think I'd go for this. Ward, that's not going to happen. He's an asset and an opportunity that I'm not going to squander. I need him right now. So get used to him at your job and making frequent visits to the Penthouse. You'll have to learn how to get along or get better at faking it, Ward. Danny's here to stay."

Some disappointment flashed by Ward's face, but he wasn't done yet. He was determined to find some way to safeguard Danny from Harold. He bit his lip, knowing where this would lead, but having no other leverage he plunged ahead. "Then what can I offer or do, what will it cost me, to keep Danny safe from you?" This caught Harold's attention and he glared at Ward. "Let's not pretend dad. I saw the way you looked at Danny and the way you touched him."

Harold stood up slowly. "You jealous Ward? Or do you have a crush on young Danny?"

Ward avoided Harold taunts. "Can this be negotiated?"

Seeing how serious his son was, Harold gave it some thought. "Perhaps. It depends. These urges...like I told you, **those** aren't just going to go away."

Ward nodded mutely, feeling a cold start to consume him. Harold raised an eyebrow up. "Thought you wanted to help me? What happened to that Ward?"

Ward had an inkling that Harold was still manipulating him, but this gave him the illusion that these horrific things that were going to continue would be on his terms. "I'm trying to help okay? But it's not going to happen overnight. I know that." His hand reflexively went to his cheek, where both Harold and Joy had smacked him, and he barely saw a shred of guilt in his father's eyes. Ward cleared his throat, but the image of Danny chained and at his father's mercy gave him an extra boost. "Use me."

"I'm sorry, what?" Harold had heard him, but it was too perfect not to hear it again.

"Whenever you get the urge. Or if you suddenly want to touch Danny, use me instead. Call me up, if I'm not here." The words felt like sand in his mouth, but he had limited options and he was desperate.

Harold's eyes zoomed in on Ward, and Ward felt smaller as Harold got closer. Harold put his hand through Ward's hair, tugging softly on it. It followed through with his daydream of what he did to Danny, that Ward felt his throat constrict and it was suddenly harder for him to breathe. His eyes drifted to the floor, and Harold took that as a sign of submission. "Let me get this straight. Are you actually whoring yourself out to me? To your own father, for the likes of Danny?!"

Ward gasped in a large breath of air. "Will you leave Danny out of your perversions? Will he be safe?"

Harold chuckled darkly at that, his hand still grabbing at Ward's hair. "You really do have the hots for Danny."

Ward tensed up, but deflected answering his father. "Will you take my deal?"

Harold grabbed enough of Ward's hair to force his head back. Leaning in real close, he asked,"Will you do anything and everything I say?"

"In general?"

That little bit of defiance caused Harold to bark out a laugh. "That would be ideal, but I know you get these rebellious little tantrums. So I'll make it simple. When I have these urges, and you're over here, you'll do anything and everything I ask of you, sexually."

He knew it was coming, but it was not easy to hear and even more difficult to reply. "I...will." Was Ward's soft surrender.

"Prove it." He let go of Ward and found amusement as his son sputtered in confusion for a few seconds. He was dazed and he had caught the younger man off guard. A tremor went through his body but he stood up to face his dad. "We'll call this a trial. If you get through this and do what I ask then you have yourself a deal."

Ward started to put up defenses in preparation for whatever Harold had in store for him. "What do you want me to do?" His voice was scratchy and alien to his own ears.

Moving out from behind the chair, Harold set his coffee down. "Get down on your knees."

Ward stiffly followed Harold's directions, already knowing what his father wanted him to do. Harold came to stand just in front of his son with a demented grin on his face. "Danny must mean a lot to you."

"Don't mention his name!"

"Why? Because you're about to suck me off?"

There it was. Exactly what he feared he'd be asked to do. His eyes immediately downcast and his hands fisted at his sides. Ward spent most of his time concentrating on not getting sick. Harold's hand soon found itself in his hair again, and to his shame, he heard himself whine softly. The sound of the zipper being pulled down made Ward cringe. "Do not use your teeth. I don't even want to feel your teeth on my dick. You will regret it and then I'll hunt down Danny and be sure he'll come to regret it as well."

Ward nodded barely keeping what little food that was in his stomach down as he saw the bulge growing in Harold's pants. "No...N-nn-nno teeth."

Harold released his cock through the opening of his underwear and pants, and Ward swallowed uneasily as he eyed the hard cock, up close and personal. He'd seen it before, had felt it in places he had never wanted to feel it go, but he had never had to face it this closely before. It was always easier to drift and pretend it wasn't happening to him when he didn't have to be this close to his father or his father's cock. Fingers traced his upper and lower lip.

"That's good." He heard from above when he opened his mouth slightly and licked at the questing fingers. Harold pulled away briefly to stroke his saliva coated fingers along his shaft. Ward looked up at Harold and could not hide his contempt for the man. It may have to his shame, been his decision, but his father could have said no. He almost laughed at himself for that thought. He was willingly giving something his father usually had to take by force; of course Harold would take the deal. Apparently, Harold didn't care that he hated him or his hate only turned him on more. His eyes unfortunately caught sight of the pre-cum already leaking out of the slit. His mouth was guided to his father's cock and he squinted his eyes shut as he covered his mouth over the head of his cock.

Ward was careful not to bite down, no matter how much he wanted to. He laid his tongue flat against the underside of his dick. He wanted to taste as little of his father as he could. Harold's lips parted and his hips moved forward forcing Ward to take more into his mouth. He was prepared enough to keep his mouth wide open. His mind was slowly going numb to everything, except keeping his teeth from clamping down. With any luck, he could remain focused on that and it would be over before he knew it. He couldn't completely block out everything and he felt his insides clench every time he heard a noise from Harold. "Knew you'd be a good little cocksucker."

Ward tensed but in the end kept bobbing up and down on his cock. The commentary he could have lived without, but it was part of Harold's test and he had to pass this one for...he halted his train of thought right there. He couldn't and didn't want to think of him while he was on his knees in front of Harold. Luckily, Harold sensed he was starting to drift far away and he wanted Ward to be grounded there with him. To feel every sensation and hear every noise. He grabbed the sides of Wards head and thrusted his entire cock down Ward's throat. Ward's reaction was instantaneous. His eyes opened, he gagged around his father's dick and his hands flew up to Harold's hips. He tried to push Harold away, but his father was too strong. His fingers dug into Harold's hips as he struggled to breathe. Harold moaned out in pleasure every time he heard and felt Ward gag. Just as Ward's vision began to blur, Harold pulled out. Ward started coughing as he gasped for breath. He didn't have long to recollect himself before he found Harold thrusting back into his mouth.

"Now that your attention is back on me, you'll suck my cock the way I want you to."

Ward opened his already sore jaw as wide as he could, and allowed Harold to thrust at any pace he wanted. **Please be over soon. Please stop. Please make it stop** , became a mantra in his head at the thrusting continued. It was when Harold forced his entire length in his mouth that would break his inner monologue and reflexively try and fail to push him away. Tears ran down his face, either because of his shame or because he could breathe. It didn't matter, and at that time, Harold didn't even notice. Ward was just some hole, some momentary pleasure that would soon be discarded. There seemed to be no end in sight, until he heard his father talk, and it was worse then just hearing the slurps, and the flesh, the moans, and his own pained grunts.

"Lick around it boy. Put a little effort in." Then to twist the knife further, he added,"You want to keep Danny safe, don't you? I bet his mouth is made to suck cock. Those full lips of his."

Ward's hate grew, and he clutched his hands into fists so hard, his nails broke the skin on his palms and the blood welled up at his fingertips. It was all he could do not to bite down or lash out in some way. But his body trembled in a mixture of anger, hatred, and fear. He reluctantly pulled back enough to lick around his cock and across his slit. He winced when the salty taste of pre-cum hit his taste buds. Harold let one of his fingers stroke down Ward's cheek, noticing for the first time the steady stream of tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

"How does Daddy taste, son??" He wasn't expecting an answer or reaction as he painfully grabbed a chunk of Ward's hair and started his thrusting again. As much as he tried, the longer he stared at Ward the more his face seemed to blend and morph into the face of Sarah. "So much like her." He groaned and picked up the pace. Harold had heard the sob, and whine at the reference of being compared to his mother, again, but he didn't care. He was close, so close. It was perfect. Ward was willingly sucking him off and it was the perfect image of the two he most wanted in life, Ward and Sarah, kneeling before him.

Ward groaned in pain when Harold's thrusts became more erratic. Ward knew Harold was close and he felt the panic begin to rise in the pit of his stomach. "Oh god. So good Ward. I'm going to come, and I want you to swallow all of it."

He felt Ward resist, his feeble attempts to pull away, but Harold had a firm grip on him. A few more thrusts and Harold let his head fall back a loud moan tore out of his throat and he exploded into Ward's mouth. Ward felt a warm liquid coat the roof of his mouth and spread out all over his tongue. His first instinct was to spit it all out and vomit and he felt the bile at the back of his throat. He had started to feel the rise of the sickness, but he forced himself to swallow it and Harold's semen down. Harold was still coming down from his high, but he smirked down at Ward as his fingers wiped at Ward's tears. Not in some sweet gesture, but was smug about having made him cry. Once he was satisfied, Harold pulled out and tucked himself back into his pants, his eyes devoid of emotion as he watched Ward crumbling into a shivering wreck. He also saw Ward losing the battle to keep the contents of his stomach down. He took a few steps to grab the wastebasket. It was placed in front of Ward's face. "Don't get any on my floors."

Ward didn't have time to feel anything but sick and his stomach lurched with a violent force and he threw up in the mostly empty basket. As soon as he'd emptied his stomach, he staggered back to his feet, the tears had since stopped but the trembling in his body had only gotten worse. He self hugged himself to keep the worst of the tremors at bay.

"Get yourself cleaned up."

Ward felt like he had been punched in the gut. He felt like he had nothing left anymore, and he rocked as he stumbled towards the door. "Do we have a deal?" His voice croaked oddly, but he had to ask, had to know before he left.

"Yeah. Don't worry boy. I'll see Danny to conduct business only. I promise I won't lay a hand on him."

Even though he had Harold's word that Danny would be safe from him, he felt hollow, and had to wonder if he had just degraded himself for no reason. Harold didn't have the most trustworthy reputation and his word meant shit to him. Stiffly, he ran a hand through his hair and wobbly walked out of the Penthouse.

* * *

 

Joy and Danny were only waiting half an hour at Rand before Ward showed up. He seemed his business-like self. He said good morning to only a select few, kept his distance, and asked around about the business he had missed over the last few days. Joy saw someone else. A rigid man, who looked like he hadn't slept in days, cold and detached from the world around him. How come she hadn't seen how distant and crude a man her brother had become? She didn't know him anymore, and didn't think she wanted to. She wasn't the only one who saw the changes in Ward. But unlike her, Danny was no longer angry with Ward, all she saw in Danny's blue orbs was real concern. For Danny saw a broken and despondent man, someone stuck in the middle of something he couldn't control and Danny wanted to help him. Joy walked up to Ward, cautiously. She was still upset with him, and felt she would be for a long time. However, Danny's words were still haunting her and the guilt was eating away at her. He saw her approach, his eyes snapping to Danny just behind her and beat her to the punch.

"As soon as you're ready we can start discussing strategy to get the rest of the Board members in agreement with our decision concerning Danny."

"I...of course, Ward." Joy crowded into his space and made him instantly uncomfortable. "I....did overreact a little this morning. I never should have slapped you. I don't know why I did, but I'm sorry, Ward. It'll never happen again. I promise."

As she raised her hand up to touch Ward's cheek in apology, all he could see and hear was Harold. How many times had Harold said the same thing or something similar? Ward no longer believed it from Harold, and he couldn't afford to get caught in the trap again. It didn't even matter if Joy was sincere, he just couldn't risk it....not again. Ward pushed her hand away from his face. "Don't touch me. Ever."

"Ward, I am-"

"I've heard that before." Ward kept his voice hushed to avoid making a scene, before he walked into his office and shut the door.

Joy kept a stiff upper lip, but almost started crying when Danny placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let me try talking to him."

After a solemn nod, Danny opened Ward's door slowly before closing it behind him. He locked the door and shut the blinds too.

"I'm not in the mood Joy, so let's just stick with business. Thinking of ways to integrate Danny into the company and onto the Board of Directors."

Danny walked up behind Ward. "Joy's waiting outside."

Ward spun around so fast he had almost fallen over. "Danny. What do you want?"

"To talk. I never really let you get a word in this morning. You're right, I was too angry to believe anything you would have said. But I'm listening now."

Ward's eyes darted around not knowing where any camera's were, but he didn't need to know. He felt Harold's eyes on him. "Get out Danny. Leave."

Danny saw Ward's eyes sweep the room in a paranoid fashion and then his demand that he leave? He knew something was very wrong with that picture. He crowded into Ward's space, somehow easing Ward, instead of putting him on edge like Joy had done. Gently, he touched Ward's fingers. "You're pushing me away. I don't know why, but you can try as hard as you want to get rid of me. I'm not going anywhere."

Without even thinking about it, he had curled his fingers around Danny's. With their fingers locked together discreetly, Ward felt so many of his defenses begin to slip. He leaned in and Danny was quick to wrap his arms around Ward and they hugged each other tightly.

"I don't know how much more I can take." Ward confessed quietly.

Doing Ward a favor, Danny kept his voice down as well. "Whatever is happening with Rand, and whatever you're caught up in...I'll be here. We'll get through this together."

"I'm sorry, Danny. I really am. I'm sorry I lied to you. I should have told you about Harold...about-" The words caught in his throat and he couldn't go on. Even if Harold wasn't listening, which he no doubt was, he just wasn't prepared to talk about it yet. He didn't think he'd ever be.

"Shhh...." Danny pulled back slightly, his suspicions over Harold now beginning to rise, but Harold was still family and he wasn't going to do anything against Harold without solid proof. Danny against his better judgement, gazed at Ward's lips. "Everything will turn out okay. I promise."

This was the first promise, Ward believed in a long time. Danny risked looking up into Ward's eyes and saw dark desire, but most importantly trust. Their lips were almost touching, and Danny hadn't even realized they were both being drawn into each others lips. Danny's heart began to beat faster when their lips were just a breath apart. He had been waiting over fifteen years to kiss Ward, to feel his lips on his and taste him. His emotions were running high and his eyes fluttered closed in anticipation. Something drew him to Danny; either their shared history, and underlying and recent attraction to the man, perhaps feelings for him that had been there all along that Ward denied, or a mix of all three. However, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and it broke the illusion he was under. That morning came back to him like a ton of bricks. Harold, his dick, and the taste of his spunk in his mouth, the gagging, the smells, the noises; it was enough to make him sick again and he backed off and grabbed at his now upset stomach. Danny felt Ward leave and he blinked his eyes in confusion.

"We need to get Joy in here and talk about getting you on the Board. We've a lot of work to get done today and we should get started immediately....But..." He glanced away, almost in embarrassment. "We can talk about...this...us later."

Danny brightened at that and turned to get Joy. Ward grabbed at his phone to see who had texted him. He wasn't surprised to see it was Harold, and his heart dropped when he read the text. Already, Harold was adding stipulations to their arrangement that they hadn't agreed on prior.

 

_**If you continue flirting with Danny, I'll break our deal and go after him.** _


	14. Rixa

"No. This is a bad idea."

"What? Danny, you will-"

Joy jumped in, believing she was the only level head among the three of them. "We discussed this and I think a Press Conference will be the only way to get you on the Board."

"I'm not doing it."

"Stop being a child, Danny. Those vipers on the Board of Directors will never accept you into the company. This Press Conference will force their hands and they'll have no choice but to submit to the decision."

He gave Ward a strong stare. "And forcing their hands...what will that cost you?" He saw Ward flush slightly and gaze away. So Danny amended quickly. "Both of you." He gave Joy a soft stare. "What will be the consequences for you two?"

Joy had caught the little moment between the men, though couldn't even guess at what that moment was. So she let it go and addressed Danny. "You let us worry about that."

Danny gave a self deprecating grin. "You want me in the Company, to be part of the Board of Directors and make decisions for the company, but you are still shutting me out." He shrugged,"Doesn't matter. I'm not doing the Press conference."

"Why not?" Ward stepped into Danny's bubble, and instead of feeling threatened, Danny felt a sense of excitement. Ward seemed to discern his own effect on Danny and backed off slightly. He had to. He had to break off whatever they were both flirting with and being around him was only going to give Danny false hope.

"You have no idea what I've been running from. Why I left Kun'Lun. If I step in front of all those reporters and wind up on television..."

Ward started to reach out, but stopped, when it hit him that Harold was probably still watching and listening in.

"Danny?" Joy questioned softly.

He shook his head. "If you go up there and introduce me into the company Ward, you're only going to turn yourself, and this company into a huge target."

Ward was about to laugh, roll his eyes and ask Danny why he thought they weren't already a target, but saw how sincere he was being. Joy only looked confused. "A target? What?"

"I came here, because I wanted to be around family, but I also needed help. It'd take too long to explain everything. Point is, I'm not going to paint a bulls-eye on this place or on Ward."

Joy threaded her hands through her hair, fidgeting. She didn't know exactly what was going on and she hated that Ward was keeping her out of not just his business decisions, but in his personal life as well. She was conflicted on whether to be deathly scared that he was keeping something huge from her, or insanely pissed about it. Since she could do nothing about that at the moment, she changed her tactics back to the present and what needed to be done. "I think you may be exaggerating about turning Rand into a target. Besides, our company is already under a lot of scrutiny. It wouldn't be the first time we've had to face obstacles. We'll deal with that when the time comes as well. However, Ward wasn't lying when he said that this was the only way to get you onto the Board. If we present your case any other way, they'll vote no to bringing you on. The only other option would be to take it to court, but we'd need some solid proof that you are Danny Rand as well as mine and Ward's testimony. That could take months. Longer if the Board has their way."

Danny knew they weren't going to say no, and the longer he stalled, the more he would push Ward into starting the Press Conference with or without his approval. "If you want me to do this press conference, then tell me. What will this personally cost you and Joy? Going over their heads and forcing their hands to accept me as part of the company."

Ward stood up a bit straighter, getting himself ready to conduct the press conference and giving one of the aide's the five minutes gesture. "It's not going to cost Joy anything."

Joy's eyes snapped over to Ward, and before she could ask his meaning, he spoke again. "It was my decision alone, and I will address that in the Press Conference and again when we meet with the Board of Directors later today. Since it was my decision and I went over your head Joy, I'll accept the consequences alone."

Danny didn't like the sound of that at all. He grabbed Ward's arm as he moved passed Danny to head into the next room where the conference would take place. He already knew Harold was the one that informed Ward to bring him back onto the Board and into the Company. He also suspected that he sprung it up on Ward and surprised him with it. It was wrong that Ward was going to accept whatever consequences from the rest of the Board over a decision that wasn't even his. "Don't...Ward." Danny whispered in a firm tone. "This isn't right. Not for him....not for me."

He shrugged Danny's hand off his arm. "I hope your ready. You'll be appearing before those camera's and reporters in a few minutes."

Danny and Joy shared a concerned moment, and he sighed when he felt her hand on his shoulder. Ward entered the next room and Joy moved closer to Danny. "You see what I mean. Once he makes up his mind, there's no way to change it."

"How bad will this cost him with the company?" Danny had to know.

"I'm not sure. He's made a lot of controversial decisions in the past, and a lot recently. He's already under suspicion. I don't think they'll ask him to step down, but it will probably cost him dearly. We'll see what happens, won't we?"

* * *

 

Colleen walked swiftly down the streets, her head held high with purpose. She had a gait to her left leg, and two of her fingers were bandaged up from her illegal fight the previous night. However it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Bakuto still hadn't gotten back to her on who those men were that had attacked Danny and Ward. Though it had only happened the other night, so Colleen wasn't expecting answers that quick. That is if Bakuto could give her any answers at all. Thankfully, Claire had given her a lead with her own sources. It wasn't much and Claire warned her it could be nothing. But it beat doing nothing all day. With the danger looming in the city and surrounding Danny, she had cancelled classes for a few days. She did it for the safety of her students, but it didn't stop her from being bored. If she had to run down a vague rumor of potential suspicious behavior to keep herself entertained then she'd do it.

She kept her boken strapped to her side in case she did run into trouble. The sun was still out, but it was in the evening and it was already starting it's descent. Colleen guessed she had a little over an hour left of sunlight as she neared the docks. As she got closer to the pier she had been informed of, she ducked behind some crates. She smirked at herself and at her paranoia, but it also gave her a childish sense of adventure. Creeping ever closer, her childhood indulgence changed to foreboding. She heard voices and she looked for a way to get a closer inspection of them without revealing her own position. Finding a decent spot, with plenty of cover, she was able to spy on the voices. Colleen still wasn't close enough to hear what was being said, but she wasn't convinced anything nefarious was going on either.

There were two respectable looking businessmen wearing suits, accompanied by a woman with straight brown hair. She wore a loose fitting garb. It was flattering but loose enough to provide her free movement. They were faced by four short Asian men. They were well toned, three of them wore leather vests or jackets, while one had on a wife beater. There on his bicep was a tattoo. Even from her distance, she would recognize that tattoo anywhere. It symbolized the Triad gang and Colleen's hand automatically went to her boken. She couldn't see any gang tatt's on the three people the four men were opposing, but it still looked intense. She hadn't seen enough to get a clear picture of what was going on. Rival gangs fighting over territory, three bystanders being antagonized by the Triads, or something else.

She needed to get closer to gain more intel, but with the assassins trying to hunt down her new roommate, she wasn't sure what the consequences would be if she got mixed up with the Triads. One fleeting thought entered her mind of the possibility that the assassins belonged to the Triads. There was just too many unanswered questions. Quietly, she moved closer, keeping low to the ground and took cover behind more boxes. Whatever they were importing or exporting, there was a lot of it. Just as she was within range to hear what they were saying, one of the Triads had yelled out and grabbed two hatchet's from under his vest and attacked the man in the suit closest to him. The man dodged out of the way, and the rest of the gang members collided with those they were facing. From the small crack between the boxes, Colleen could observe what was happening. She couldn't even call it a fight.

The three unknown entities held their own against the four Triads and she watched them evade their attacks with such grace and ease before they went on the offensive. The woman, and clearly the leader snapped some bones of one of the Triad's before setting her eyes on her next target. The two imposing men traded blows back and forth and all too quickly the squabble was over and the four Triad's were retreating from the docks and Colleen distinctly heard them talking in Mandarin. It went by too quick, and it didn't help that she hadn't spoke mandarin since she was a child. Joy Meachum was hard to miss in their slur of words and she waited until they were gone before she crept away from the docks.

There was no time to analyze why the Triads were after Joy. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone and called up the Rand building. **_Pick up....Pick up!_**

"Hello, you've reached Rand Enterprises. How may I direct your call?"

"I need to speak with Joy Meachum, immediately."

"Do you have an appointment?"

Colleen glared at her phone. "No I don't. But this is important."

"I'm sorry, but without an appointment-"

"Can you at least tell me if she's still at Rand."

There was a pause, and she swore she could hear the aggravated tone in the receptionists voice. "She has stepped out for the night. If you want to make an appointment..."

"Put me through to Ward Meachum then."

There was another pause, but she soon heard the woman letting her know she was being transferred and the phone rang three times before she heard Ward's voice come over the phone. "This is Ward Meachum."

"Do you know where Joy is?"

"Who is this?"

"It's Colleen...Wing."

"Right. I don't know what you want with Joy, but she's not here."

"I know that, but your her brother. Do you know where she is?"

After a lengthy pause, he finally gave her an honest answer. "I haven't talked with her most of the day. But if she sticks to her normal routine, she's probably at one of her favorite restaurants eating dinner. La Grenouille."

"Thanks. I'll check it out." She hung up before he had a chance to ask if there was anything wrong. She didn't want him to panic or worry if her hunch turned out to be nothing.

* * *

 

Danny had been trying to get Ward's attention since the Press Conference, but he hadn't been successful. Ward kept going in and out of his office, and claiming he had meetings on top of paperwork. Danny believed the paperwork, but Joy had been wondering where Ward was a few times during the day as well. He got the distinct impression Ward was avoiding him. He had promised he'd talk to him later, and he expected to talk after they all got out of work, but he still expected to be kept in the loop. He was part of the company now, and no matter what had or hadn't happened in Ward's office, he thought they could at least be friendly.

After his fourth attempt, he had given up temporarily and had gone snooping. He was having misgivings about Harold, but until then, he had promised he'd poke around and see if The Hand was in Rand and find out what they were up to. Furthermore, he needed to know for himself. They were his enemy and if they were an infection at Rand he needed to find it and eradicate it. Where to start looking though?

A young African american woman with wavy black hair caught his attention. "Hi, um. I'm Danny. Danny Rand."

She looked up from her desk and gave him a small smile. "Meghan. I'm Ward's assistant. Uh, but if I can help you until you get your own assistant." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I was getting a little ahead of myself."

He cracked a grin, his blue eyes drifting to Ward's office of their own accord. He spotted Ward in his office, he was going over some papers, his shoulders were slightly hunched and he looked just as bad as he had before the almost kiss. Ignoring the impulse to enter his office, and find some way to relieve his stress, he turned his attention back to Meghan. She was amused by his seemingly one track mind, and Danny flushed and chuckled nervously about being caught staring at the CEO of Rand. "I was hoping you could help me find some case files. I can't get caught up on everything, but I want to try and get caught up with some of the recent dealings. Probably anything relevant within the last 5 months?"

Meghan nodded her head. "That'll take some time, but if you give me about an hour, I can get that paperwork together for you and you can review it in your office."

"Thanks Meghan. I'd appreciate that." Danny gave her a gentle smirk before he turned to head back to his office. He did peek into Ward's office one last time before he continued on his way.

* * *

 

Almost home free, until-

"Ward!"

Ward's eyes closed and his stride faltered. He lost his forward momentum and he prepared himself for what was to come. He had been keeping his distance since receiving his father's text, and while that could be passed off as being busy while he was at work, if he continued to avoid Danny or blew him off now, it'd be obvious to the blonde. Ward just wasn't sure what to say. After their tense moment in his office, there was no good way to blow Danny off and there was no excuse that he could think of that Danny would buy. Once Danny caught up to him, Ward sighed and opened his eyes. Danny had a shy smile on his face and it made Ward's chest ache. He was about to destroy Danny's happiness and hope.

"Is that a typical day at Rand?" The pair locked in step as they exited the building together.

"What do you mean?"

Danny moved closer and Ward felt their arms brush with every step. Too close, too dangerous, but the temptation was too great. So Ward allowed it and played it off as though he hadn't realized just how close Danny was to him. This seemed to give Danny the wrong impression. "Oh just the endless meetings, the press conference. You were behind closed doors practically all day. Is that normal?"

Ward flushed slightly when he felt Danny's finger run along the back of his hand. It was hesitant and questioning, obviously testing the waters. It gave Ward an unexpected chill. Again, Danny had initiated contact with him and it didn't turn him off, nor was in an act of violence and pain. It reminded him of how he had felt when they were alone together in his office earlier, and this made what he had to do, so much harder.

"There are usually meetings, but no that wasn't a typical day. It was a lot more hectic today then it usually is, but a lot of that had to do with you coming on the Board of Directors, in a very unorthodox way." After another few steps, Ward finally asked. "What are you doing?"

Danny retracted his exploring fingers, as though Ward's skin suddenly burned him. "What do you mean?"

Ward tried to ignore the vacant feeling he received when Danny stopped touching him. "You're following me. The Chikara Dojo is in the opposite direction."

"Oh. That." Danny spoke, his tone full of relief as he fell back in step with Ward. He was too nervous to reach back out to Ward, however, and the brunette noticed. "I thought you said we'd talk after work. I realize it was a long day, but there's still a bit of time where we can talk about what happened. I..." He cleared his throat,"I was kind of curious about your apartment too." Ward glanced at him and Danny sped up. "I'm just curious. I was to see where you live, but that's it. I don't have a hidden motive."

Danny bit his bottom lip and Ward couldn't help but smirk at Danny's awkwardness. Danny shoved playfully at Ward and Ward momentarily forgot all about Harold's threat and the horror's he'd endured the last two weeks. "If you don't mind me tagging along to see your place, but can we stop at Harold's penthouse on the way? I need to talk to him. I've found some-"

Unfortunately, Ward zoned out as soon as Danny had mentioned Harold's name. His good mood vanished immediately. His eyes glanced around, full of paranoia, wondering just how many camera's his father had out there, or that he had access to. Could Harold see him? He quickly turned the corner, feeling claustrophobic just thinking about that possibility and was not surprised that Danny had followed him a few seconds later. He must have sensed the mood change, because he touched his arm tentatively,"Ward?"

"If you need to talk to Harold, fine. But you'll be heading there on your own. I want no part of it."

"What?"

"You heard me. Now leave me alone. I don't feel like talking tonight."

Danny had been blindsided and quickly lashed out. "You don't feel like it? Then when will you feel like it? When's a good time for you? Tomorrow?"

"I'm busy tomorrow."

Danny threw his arms up in the air,"What a shock! You're too busy tomorrow, and you'll probably be busy the day after that. You just don't want to talk about it...about us. I know talking isn't our strong suit, but shouldn't we acknowledge what happened?"

Ward sighed loudly. "What happened? I was having a bad morning and you were a friend to me. That's it."

"That's it?"

Ward grabbed Danny by the arm and pulled him in close. "Really? You want to do this right here?"

Danny's hard blue eyes searched Ward's and he saw that there was fear there not anger. What was there to be afraid of? It hit him when the mood change had happened. "This is't just about me is it? You're still on about Harold being dangerous and not wanting me to see him even though he's family."

"What? ...Danny-"

"Why? Just answer me that. Why is he dangerous? Why do you not want me to go near him?"

Ward felt paralyzed. If he wasn't careful, Danny would figure everything out without his help. He couldn't outright dent it or avoid it, because that would no doubt fuel Danny's inquisitive and already suspicious mind. He couldn't tell him either, so Ward had to think quickly. "Take a cab and go hangout with your 'Uncle'. He always liked you more then me anyway. God, you've been back a couple days and you've already jumped back to being Harold's favorite and even Joy is siding with you over me. It's like the last fifteen years didn't even happen. So please, call a cab, go to the Penthouse and leave me alone."

Successfully stunning Danny long enough, Ward stalked off hoping it looked like a good enough performance. He had no way of knowing if Harold was watching, but with his father, he was learning he couldn't take any chances.

Danny stood there unsure how to respond to Ward. He sounded so arrogant, exactly how Danny remembered him to be fifteen years ago. He both loved and hated **that** Ward. And Danny wasn't sure the massive mood changes were something he wanted to deal with. Was pursuing Ward going to be worth it? On the other hand, it was Ward. He'd been fantasizing and crushing on him for years. And he was beginning to read Ward like he never could before. Ward was pushing him away out of fear, and he didn't buy Ward's bullshit any more than Ward did. He could't tell yet if Ward was being dramatic and making a big deal because he wanted Danny to follow him or if he needed space. However, considering how fiercely Ward had been hugging him that morning, he'd risk running after him.

As soon as Ward reached the car garage, he knew something wasn't quite right. The lights were all down, and there had been no one at the entrance. There were a few cars around, but he saw no people, from what little he could make out in the darkness. It had been a mistake to leave without some security, but he had been desperate to stay away from Danny to appease his father. Ward cursed himself for his own weakness concerning his father. If he had even a hint of a backbone he would have flipped his father off and kissed Danny in his office. A dark moving figure had caught his eye and halted his thoughts. But after squinting in that direction, he saw nothing out of the ordinary and came to the conclusion that his eyes were playing tricks on him.

He only made it a few more steps before someone grabbed him from behind. His arms flailed out as soon as the arm wrapped around his neck and began choking him. Despite the adrenaline and fear gripping him, he saw through the darkness of the garage two more figures emerge and head towards him. Planting his feet, he grabbed at the arm around his throat and using leverage and his opponents strength against them, he flipped them over his shoulder and twisted the arm, breaking it. He gasped for breath as the other two came running at him. He hadn't learned too many moves from Danny or Colleen so he froze when he saw them running at him. A weapon being drawn and thrusted at him, pulled him back into action and he rolled to the side to avoid it. He dodged a punch heading in his direction, and lunged forwards to attack back. He surprised himself when he got the hit in. It was such a surprise that it put him at a disadvantage and a strong thwack to his side knocked him down to his knees. He was hoisted up by two individuals and the third, a man came forward. He was cradling his broken arm and took the weapon from one of the ones holding him.

Ward struggled to get free, and had almost managed to wiggle one of his arms free before another punch to his face had disoriented him. His vision swirled and the fight drained out of him. His sluggish brown eyes raised up and he saw the weapon come at him. Instead a glowing orange fist connected with the mans head. The weapon dropped to the concrete, and the impact of Danny's hit sent the man flying across the lot. Ward knew before the man slumped to the ground that he was dead. Ward was instantly forgotten about and the two figures went after Danny. They didn't try to go for the weapon on the ground, knowing they needed to get Danny out of the picture as quickly as possible. Danny fought against the two like it was second nature to him, like it was no effort at all to dispatch the two. Ward couldn't keep up with the punches, kicks, the fancy moves, limbs going every which way. He grabbed at his head not noticing all the blood that came back onto his hand. When he heard Danny cry out in pain, Ward fumbled on the ground until his fingers found the sword.

He used the sword to help him stand up before he attacked the one who had managed to get Danny onto the ground and was kicking him repetitively. He slashed the attackers back and a howl of pain echoed through the garage. He turned around to go after Ward. Ward tried to use the sword again, but he wasn't trained in how to use it, and adrenaline and the instinct to survive could only do so much. The man evaded his weak attacks easily and in two short moves, he had disarmed Ward. His breath came in short pants as he stood there eyeing the sword wielding man warily. Danny got behind him, after taking out the other one he was preoccupied with, and with honed skill, he broken the mans neck. Ward trembled, swallowing hard when the sword clanged onto the concrete. He backed up slowly when Danny came towards him.

"They're...dead." Ward spoke, his voice dry. "You killed them."

Danny reached out to Ward. "You were in danger, I couldn't just let them kill you." He didn't dare point out that Ward had almost killed one of the men in a desperate move to protect him. Ward wasn't ready to face that and he was already freaked out. "It's okay Ward. It's just me, Danny."

Ward's wide and drowsy eyes had a hard time focusing on Danny. His bloodied hand came up and he covered his mouth, his hair falling into his eyes and his knees about ready to give out on him.

Luckily, Danny closed the distance between them, and wrapped his arms around Ward. At once, Ward melted into his embrace. "You're safe now Ward. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He gathered up the sword and then began to search for Ward's car, leading Ward away from the scene.

"Danny. They're dead! The...The bodies." Ward cringed. "What's going to happen to us?"

"Nothing." Danny fished around Ward's pockets, with no resistance and pulled out his car keys. "Whoever is orchestrating these attacks are after me, and anyone close to me. I get the feeling they don't want local law enforcement involved in this...dispute anymore than I do. Don't worry about the bodies. They'll be gone by morning." It had happened with the assassins he had killed just after he arrived in New York, he assumed this would be no different. This was a fight that had followed him all the way from Kun'Lun, local police would only get in the way.

* * *

 

Danny rushed Ward through the Dojo doors. He was still conscious, but he was dragging his feet, and he could tell Ward was dazed or in shock. "Colleen! Colleen! Claire?"

There was no reply.

Ward groaned in pain beside him and carrying most of his weight, he still helped Ward to limp through the building and out to the back towards where the bedroom was.

"They're not here." Ward spoke lowly, as he wiped more blood from his mouth onto the back of his hand. "Those guys...you...you killed them."

He must have repeated that about a dozen times on the way over to the Dojo, and Danny scowled softly. "I warned you. I told you, you were making a big mistake, and that you were turning yourself and our company into a huge target!"

Before Danny could get really mad, and he didn't even think he was angry, he was scared. Scared that he almost lost Ward. Ward tripped and Danny barely kept them upright. They didn't make it to the bedroom, and instead Danny helped Ward make it over to the training mats in the middle of the floor. Ward sat down haphazardly, using one of the wooden beams to support him as he leaned back against it. Danny couldn't resist touching Ward's cheek softly. "They would have killed you Ward. I couldn't let them do that."

Ward blinked up at Danny. They were too close. He was sure Harold had no bugs at the Dojo, for now it was safe, but he couldn't stop the paranoia of Harold seeing that moment. Seeing that moment and then going after Danny. Could Danny handle himself and protect himself from Harold? Ward wanted to believe he could, but Danny trusted Harold, he turned into a naive little boy whenever "Uncle" Harold was around. And Harold would exploit that weakness and use it to his own advantage. He turned his face away from the touch, it wasn't a huge move, but he had gotten his message across.

Danny pulled his hand away quickly, his blue eyes studying Ward deliberately. Something was different. Something had changed in the span of one day and he couldn't put his finger on it. Seeing the blood drip down the side of Wards face from an open wound on his head had garnered more attention then his potentially broken heart. "I'll be right back. I'm going to see if Colleen has anything useful in her bathroom cabinets. I may have to call Claire. I just don't want to disturb her, when its only a few cuts and bruises."

He wasn't gone long but when he returned, he saw that Ward had hoisted himself up, and was struggling to leave the Dojo. "No." Danny quickly grabbed Ward, his resistance futile, as he dragged him back down to the training mats. All the supplies he had gotten from the bathroom had dropped to the floor and Ward nearly fell in a heap as well. But Danny helped he down gingerly. "Are you out of your fucking mind? You're too injured to walk, let alone drive back to your apartment. Now sit down and let me tend to your wounds."

Ward could do nothing but sit their in silent defiance as Danny grabbed the loose items on the floor and set them beside Ward. He got down on his knees in front of Ward, and after dabbing rubbing alcohol on a cloth, he began to dab it over the open cut. Ward hissed through clenched teeth as the alcohol started to sting. "Danny will you take me back to my apartment and leave once your done fixing me up?"

Danny frowned but his priority was to make sure Ward was okay. If he had to ignore his heart or have Ward break it before anything even started between them then he would. "If that's what you want."

Ward sighed in relief, but his relief was short lived as his breath caught in his throat as Danny leaned in closer. Their legs were touching and Danny was applying pressure to his wound. He grunted in pain and Danny's thumb rubbed at Ward's forehead, below where Ward was hurt. He couldn't help but try and comfort Ward, especially seeing him so injured and broken. "Sorry." He spoke softly, already grabbing a bandage to keep it from bleeding more. "I'm almost done. I still would prefer you get checked out by Claire."

Ward closed his eyes briefly. "I'm not sticking around that long. Just patch me up and send me on my way."

Danny groaned in frustration, and moved to grab the supplies. He didn't want to act out in anger and hurt Ward, and he needed to do something with his hands. "You are the most stubborn man I've ever met. You need to be checked over by a professional. What if they've damaged you internally. I can't examine you for that."

"I don't care." Ward spoke out in agitation. "If it gets me away from you." His eyes snapped open when he heard a loud crash against the far wall. Danny had thrown the box of bandages and the bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"Do you hate me that much that you would put your life and your health at risk?"

Ward licked at his dry lips and felt his stomach start to lurch, but it needed to be said. All he could picture was Harold looming over Danny with a sinister grin on his face and Ward had to resolve himself to lie to Danny's face. "Yes!"

Danny's anger was at the surface and his fist did start to glow a bit. He much preferred the anger over feeling the torment those words would have brought him. "Bullshit." Danny confronted Ward, his voice loud and aggressive. "Not after everything we've been through the past couple of days. Not after everything we went through when we were kids." He got up close and personal with Ward's face. "You're not that good of an actor Ward. I know you like me; you have feelings for me. You're staring at my lips right now." Ward glanced away immediately and Danny continued. "So what the hell has changed?"

Ward'd voice raised and he yelled out without thinking. "Because I can't trust myself around you!"

This had halted Danny and every word that was in his head, every argument he was planning on using for whatever Ward's rebuttal was, had frozen. He hadn't been expecting that and his brain had to catch up and process Ward's meaning. He noticed that Ward was still keeping himself from looking at him, and it did seem like Ward was having a difficult time holding himself back. He didn't care, he wanted this, and he took Ward's statement as a challenge.

"I don't want you to." Danny watched transfixed as Ward slowly turned to face him. "I can handle whatever you throw at me."

Time seemed to screech to a halt as they locked eyes. The pause in their argument and moment didn't last long. Ward had grabbed Danny by his clothes and pulled him down to him. His other hand had been quick to grasp at Danny's blonde curls and their lips met in a searing kiss. Surprised, Danny had been caught off guard. He shuddered in pleasure as a needy moan pushed past his lips. At first his hands had flown up, unsure what to do with them, before he naturally grabbed at Ward's shoulders. One hand did grab a hold of the wooden pole behind Ward to help keep him upright against Ward's onslaught. Hearing his needy moan was so much hotter than Ward had thought it'd be and once again, to his surprise, he felt his dick grow hard. Ward grabbed Danny's scalp like a lifeline as he devoured Danny's full lips.

When his tongue came out to trace at Danny's bottom lip; Danny's entire body thrummed in excitement and another groan tumbled out of his mouth. He was completely floored by Ward's kiss. Despite the unexpected turn of events, it was a kiss he had been waiting for and fantasizing about for over a decade. His expectations of what kissing Ward would be like, absolutely paled in comparison to the reality. His hands went to Wards face and he licked at Ward's lips. He heard Ward whimper and almost retreat from his questing tongue. The rest of his behavior told Danny something different though. His hands were grabbing, clawing, and pulling him closer. His moans were urgent and full of passion. Though he was having trouble distinguishing between his moans and Ward's.

"Ward." He groaned against Ward's lips and pushed forward.

A second swipe of his tongue at Ward's bottom lip had Ward opening his lips. Eagerly, Danny pushed through the parted lips and tasted Ward for the first time. It was an explosion in his mouth and Danny greedily started exploring Ward's mouth and tasting every bit of it. A flash of Harold flooded Ward's mind at the worst time. The image of Harold holding Danny and discreetly fondling his curls, the memory of him trying to touch Danny when he was younger, the threatening text to go after Danny if he didn't stay away from him.

Just the image of Danny injured or being raped by his father and the idea of it being his responsibility and his fault was enough to drag him away from the sensational kiss. He pushed Danny away and tried to put distance between them. Perplexity didn't stop Danny from keeping Ward anchored in front of him. He wouldn't let Ward run away.

"Don't fight this Ward." He straddled his lap, and Ward got to feel how he was affecting Danny. Ward gasped softly, his eyes as wide as saucers. Danny's face was flushed, feeling exposed, even though he felt how badly Ward wanted him as well. "We both want this." Danny's voice was soft.

"Danny, I-" A finger to his lips had silenced him.

"Please." The look on Danny's face had nearly killed Ward. There was a sweetness to Danny, when he ran his fingers gently through Ward's straight hair. It was such a contrast to how Harold had recently grabbed his head. And there it was! The main reason he couldn't be with Danny, and why he should put a stop to it right then and there. If Danny knew or found out, he wondered how fast Danny would drop him. Especially if he knew he had let Harold use him. That he had willingly gone down on Harold.

Staring into Danny's worried face, broke Ward. He couldn't deny him or more importantly, he couldn't deny himself. Ward knew how badly he needed to feel something other then fear, shame, and self-loathing. He felt safe in Danny's arms and he wanted to know if it was still possible to feel happiness. No matter how short-lived it may be, he wanted Danny. **Fuck Harold!**

Ward ran his hands down Danny's back and pulled him in closer. "You're right, Danny. I can't deny it anymore and I don't want to fight this either." A large smile broke out across Danny's face. "Just....kissing?"

He had heard Ward whisper shyly. Their hard-ons were hard to ignore, and Danny flushed a beat red when he realized his straining erection was pressing against Ward's stomach. However, he was surprised and grateful for the suggestion. He had never been with anyone before and was nervous about what to do afterwards. So relief flooded through him. "Yeah. That would be best. I promise, just kissing."

Ward and Danny met back in the middle, their lips joining for a soft and slow kiss. He held Ward's trembling face between his hands and let himself enjoy the pliable lips moving against his. He did relish Danny in his lap, but he couldn't quite shake loose the memory of Harold. His face, his eyes, the sinister look on his face, and the way his hand wound up in his hair; dominating and threatening all at once. The soulless eyes as he-

Ward couldn't separate himself from his father. A lump formed in his throat and a panic gripped his insides and his stomach clenched uncomfortably. Either Danny didn't notice or he was too captivated in his own desires. He didn't stop and Ward didn't know what to do. The tongue was back in his mouth and Ward sat there petrified.

Fortunately, Colleen and Joy had arrived at the Dojo after their eventful night. Neither man had heard them enter the building. Joy was leaning heavily on Colleen though her only real injury was the bruise forming on her cheek. "I still don't know what that was all about. Colleen, I need answers."

Joy had been jumped by the gang members outside her favorite restaurant and had been dragged to a vacant alley. They had only gotten a few hits on her before Colleen had arrived and fought them off. "Let me get you some ice for that cheek firs-"

Colleen broke off mid-sentence, her eyes wide when she walked in on Danny straddling Ward's lap, their hands all over each other's bodies; clearly making out. Joy also was stunned into silence. Colleen coughed,"Didn't mean to interrupt you guys."

Danny made a startled noise and instantly stopped his kiss. Ward gulped uneasily and wiggled to get away from Danny and put distance between them. His panic was subsiding, only to be replaced with embarrassment and dread at Colleen and Joy catching them in the act. He spotted Joy's eyes on him and he felt her anger and jealousy with a laser like precision. Discreetly Danny readjusted himself and thanked any higher being out there that he was still wearing baggy pants. He gave both women a shy smile. "It's okay. Umm...next time we'll be more prudent."

Ward avoided the stares,"Maybe we should retire to the bedroom Danny." He knew he wouldn't be doing anything more with Danny that night, Harold was an invisible elephant in the room, but he was getting the feeling he'd be better off being alone with Danny then dealing with the awkward situation his sister might pose.

The smile on Danny's face grew ten-fold, and Colleen felt bad that she had to ruin his night. Particularly after she noted Ward insecurely grabbed Danny's hand and Danny held tightly to it. Ward desperately needed to talk with Danny, he couldn't tell him everything, but he could tell him a half truth. Maybe knowing he had a bad relationship recently, would excuse some of his mood swings and explain why he was reluctant to go passed kissing. He also wanted to see how safe and secure he'd feel cuddled up in bed with Danny. Joy's eyes honed in on their linked hands and then she gave Ward an expression he couldn't comprehend. A cross between heartbreak, accusation, and disbelief, if he was a guessing man.

"Before you guys run off to have fun, we need to talk. There's a problem at Rand."

Danny nodded."There's multiple problems at Rand." He wasn't unaware of the problems, but they could wait til morning. He **just** managed to get Ward and they had a lot to explore and talk about.

"I found Joy getting attacked earlier."

That had caught Ward's attention and his big brother instincts attempted to kick in, but the look in her eyes told him that it would not be wanted. That there was still a chasm between them that was going to be hard to repair.

"Judging by the cuts and bruises on both of you two, you both had your own encounter tonight. That, or you're way too aggressive when you're making out." She shook her head at the mental image. "Moving along, we need to plan our next move."

As much as Danny wanted to be with Ward, he knew Colleen had a point. He couldn't live with himself if anything happened to Ward, Joy or Colleen because he was listening to his libido and not preparing for what was coming next. He pulled away from Ward, missing his stricken face and was instantly by Colleen's side, his hand sliding onto her shoulder. "Tell me everything that happened tonight."


	15. Lapsus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back, and I do apologize for my long absence.
> 
> Not too dark of a chapter, but all ratings and warnings apply. Chapter 16 will be up soon. I have most of it written. It's just finding the time to type it onto my laptop. But I am making it a goal to get it up within the next two weeks. I do not want another month or two between my updates.
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy!

_Pulse rate and breathing increased as a strangled yell echoed around the enclosed garage. The darkness creeped in around him, creating a sense of despair and hopelessness. Bleak surroundings encircled him and trapped him where he stood. Ward was out in front of him, restrained by three guys. He flinched every time fists connected to his flesh. The brunette businessman was bruised, bloody, and shivering on his knees before his attackers. Danny's blood boiled, he felt his hands curl into fists-one fist blazing hot, while he was powerless to do anything to put a stop to it._

_"Ward!" Danny's voice rang out, scared and desperate._

_He continued to scream and plead for Ward, for them to stop, for Ward's safety and freedom. His shouts fell on deaf ears as they prolonged Ward's suffering. His eyes burned as he saw the defeated and resigned look in Ward's own eyes. "Danny."_

_He struggled against the fog that seemed to hold him in place, keeping him from rushing forward and helping Ward. **Why couldn't he defend someone he loved?** As soon as he looked away from the dire scene in front of him, he was faced with the last time he had felt so helpless. The airplane's engines roared as he looked out the window and saw nothing but clouds and the wing of the plane shaking from the ill motion._

_**No! No, no, no**...he frantically gazed around as they hit a pocket of worse turbulence and the whole cabin began to rumble. He was paralyzed in fear as the convulsions grew. Danny was strapped in and held down, when the overheard compartment opened up and an item fell on his head. His mother took off her belt and came over to him. The feel of her hands on his face, cradling him from his injury, broke his heart. Helplessly, Danny had to site there and watch in horror when the side of the plane broke apart and the air pressure sucked her body out of the opening of the plane. In an instant, she was gone and his father's voice was the only thing that turned his attention away from the last memory of his mother._

_"Danny...I love you, Danny."_

_Danny's eyes teared up and he saw that same resigned look that had been on Ward's face. In another instance, the last memory of his parents faded away and he was faced with the desolate sight of a bleeding Ward. The left side of his face was swollen, his hair was all askew, and blood was everywhere! He was scarcely recognizable. Danny didn't know if he could face himself if he let anything bad happen to Ward. It was his biggest fear; that something bad would befall Ward and he'd be powerless to stop it. Before he could rush over and help Ward, the brown eyes turned on to him. They looked right at him, but they might as well have been looking through him. Another hit landed on Ward, it resounded loudly to Danny's ears, but Ward's pain-filled scream was even louder._

_"No. Stop!" Ward's voice choked out, only it was younger and heavily muffled. The memory was fuzzy and came in flashes. He wasn't sure why or what had triggered it, but he was back at Harold's home, and he was sitting in his lap, celebrating over winning his level. He felt a smack to the side of his head and Ward's angry voice filled his senses. He felt the shame and tears before he even reached up to feel what was in his hair. In the next flash, he was facing Ward's irate face, and unable to process that his crush hated him, he screamed out his own hatred and rushed away. Internally, he got more and more uncomfortable as the memory progressed. He didn't want to face it, but what was he afraid of?_

_The next thing he knew, he was sitting outside on the terrace crying like a baby. He felt such disappointment in himself, and hated himself for ever liking an asshole like Ward. Worse, he hated himself for still liking that asshole, even after everything Ward had put him through. He was going to find Joy, as soon as he had stopped crying. A loud shout, and thunk had caught his attention through his tears. Ward's voice broke through, muffled by the closed door and walls. "No. Stop!" But it was enough to make Danny's tears stop and for fear to grip him in a way that it never had before. He heard another yell and it piqued his curiosity to investigate. Ward...Ward had never sounded like that before, and it overruled any sense he had and any current feelings he had over the older boy._

 

Danny inhaled a deep shuddering breath. His meditation had been disrupted and rocked to its core. He couldn't steady his mind and he didn't like the images that were being conjured up. He certainly didn't want to face them either. He'd almost lost Ward the night before and even though he didn't...even though the night ended on a good note, the dark feelings and nightmares just wouldn't leave him alone. He couldn't be sure of anything and that unsettled him the most. This didn't get rid of the irrational fear that Ward was in trouble or that something had happened to him during the night. Quickly, he got up from his spot on the floor and glanced on the bed. Ward was still fast asleep, wrapped up in the blankets. His brown hair was mussed and some of it had fallen into his face.

His face was so serene and peaceful, it was an expression he had never seen on Ward before. Somehow, he managed to look sexier, unkempt and unruly, and Danny's bad feelings and omens vanished. Lightly, he ran his fingers through Ward's hair and then tenderly traced down his cheek. After the second caress, Ward began to stir. It wasn't his intention to awaken the man, but he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to greet Ward in the morning. The last time, Ward had been plagued by nightmares, but not today. A yawn escaped Wad as he stretched above his head. "Morning." Danny spoke softly.

It startled Ward, but an easy smile broke out on his face. Ward peeked one eye open. "Good Morning, Danny."

Danny leaned down and despite the awkward angle they kissed softly. Ward returned it, but scared of having a panic attack and being awkward considering how long it had truly been since he dated anyone, he pulled away before the kiss went deeper or further. He saw the conflicted and expressive blue eyes and Ward quickly covered his mouth. "Morning breath." He mumbled and Danny rolled his eyes, but gave Ward the space.

"We should be getting up soon and getting ready. We have a long day ahead of us."

Ward nodded again and reluctantly, he pulled the covers off and sat up. Due to the long night they had had, they had passed out after discussing the possible problems facing them and the company. Danny had forgotten that Ward had gone to bed shirtless, but now that he was faced with it, he couldn't even enjoy it. He had caught a glimpse of Ward's back a couple days ago, but being faced head on with the evidence was devastating to behold. The bruises on his back were more clearly visible and the morning light made it seem worse. Danny couldn't stomach looking at Ward's back anymore and moved away. He was already dressed and grabbed Ward's dirty suit from the night before. In a bid to keep things from turning sour, he threw Ward's clothes at him.

"Hey!" Ward grunted in surprise before grabbing at the clothes scattered on the bed.

"Get dressed! Unless you want to join us for breakfast naked."

He scowled and flushed, but it soon turned to a look of pure terror. Danny wasn't looking at him, but he could tell he had seen the state of his back. For just a moment, their eyes met and Danny eventually glanced away. It wasn't like last time, when he had inspected Ward's injuries during a time Ward was unable to stop him. However, Danny had the same guilty look on his face.

"About...." Ward started but his words failed him. "The bruises..." He took in a shuddering intake of air and Danny caught Ward's quivering bottom lip. "My back..."

Despite his curiosity, Danny saw how pained Ward was and knew he was pushing himself because he thought Danny wanted to know. "Ward." His voice was soft but stern. "You'll tell me when you're ready." A wave of relief washed over Ward and he gave Danny a sincere nod. "I'll meet you in the training room."

Danny left Ward to get dressed, smirking at Ward's grimace down at the dirty clothes on his way out. He was not surprised to see Colleen, Joy, and Claire already up and about. Colleen was setting up a small table with bags on the floor beside it. He smelled food coming from the bags and his stomach immediately started to growl. He wasn't the only one to notice as Colleen smirked over at Danny. Claire was sitting down in front of Joy looking her over from what Danny could tell, Joy had been very lucky. She wasn't even going to get a bruise. "Here, let me help you."

"Don't extend yourself too much. I'll be looking over your injuries next."

He gaped at Claire,"What injuries? Seriously Claire, I'm fine. They barely touched me last night."

An eyebrow raised up in challenge, but she finished checking over Joy first. As soon as she had, she gave Danny a pointed look,"Sit. Now."

One look in her eyes had Danny taking an immediate seat in front of her. "This isn't going to take long, is owwww!" Danny cried out when she pressed on his side.

"Barely touched you, huh?"

"I got distracted."

"Distracted? By Ward?" Danny clenched down when Claire felt around his sore side. "Lift up your shirt." Danny obeyed and Claire observed with a clinical eye. "They got some good hits on you it seems, but I don't think you've broken anything. There's no swelling, it just looks bad."

Danny gave her a smirk,"So what's the prognosis, Doc?"

Claire glared,"My best guess, you've just got some deep bruising. You'll need to take some pain killers and if it's still sore icing it may help...or stronger meds." Content that she was done with him, he put his shirt back down. "Where's Ward?"

"Probably still sleeping." Joy's voice was still slightly bitter.

This confused Danny, but he never got to find out if Joy was okay. Ward came into the main room and it was painfully obvious that nothing else mattered to Danny as he scrambled over to his...lover? We're they lovers now? It was one of the things he had wanted to talk to Ward about, but never got a chance to.

"Ward's turn." Danny hadn't had a chance to hug, kiss, or acknowledge Ward, before Claire interjected.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You all got into a bit of trouble last night, or so Colleen tells me. I just want to make sure you're alright."

Ward didn't buy that she wanted him to be okay or even cared enough. However, he was going to avoid her exam like the plague. He didn't need her eyes on places they shouldn't be. He also had no intentions of explaining himself or answering any of her questions. And he knew for a fact that he couldn't stomach her pity on top of her not caring. "As you can see, I'm fine."

Joy rolled her eyes, content and validated that he was never going to change. "That's just typical of you Ward."

Colleen sighed under her breath,"Breakfast is going to be fun."

Claire's eyes turned suspicious,"It's quick; unless you'd rather pay a lot of money to go see your regular doctor on an exam I'm doing for free. Or do you have something to hide?"

There was a scoff from Joy at that and Ward did his best to ignore it. He knew he had fucked up with Joy,he just had expected that they would have made up by now. Danny knew why Ward was hesitant to let Claire examine him, but he needed to make sure there were no serious complications to his injuries. "That's your first mistake there. You should always get paid for providing a service."

"Ward. At least let her check out your head injury."

"The one I dressed a couple of nights ago? Or did he get another head injury?"

"He got another one."

Joy heard this and it was news to her. However, her anger at Ward and learning he was keeping big events secret from her, this old head injury being further proof, outweighed her concern for him.

Gone was the suspicion and barely masked contempt from Claire's face. "Let me see Ward, please?"

Reluctantly, he sat down in front of her to let her take a peek. Claire held no illusions though. It was Danny's hand on Ward's shoulder and his blue puppy eyes that chipped away Ward's stubbornness. She peeled away the bandaging Danny had done the previous night. "Did you get hit very hard? Fists or with a blunt object?"

"No. The end of one of their weapons got me. I was weak last night, but I don't think I suffered a concussion or anything worse."

Taking out a small flashlight, Claire shone it into his eyes to check anyway. He groaned and flinched but didn't back down. "You seem to be a little sensitive to the light, but that could just be because it's early morning. Luckily, it doesn't look like you've been concussed or you suffered a mild concussion last night. Alright, if you just quickly lift your shirt, I'll give you a final check and the all clear."

Ward shrunk in on himself and Danny was suddenly back in Ward's space, hovering.

"Good god, Danny. He's a big boy." Joy groaned, getting sick of seeing Danny and Ward constantly touch each other no matter how discreetly. Danny gave Joy an incredulous stare, but Ward interrupted.

"I'm not concussed, so this exam is over. The hit to my head was the only thing I was worried about."

Her suspicions returned, but a cursory check-up had shown that he seemed to be fine. Having no other reason to keep him there, she sighed and stood up. "So what's for breakfast, Colleen?"

"Nothing fancy." She grabbed the bags off the floor and put them on the table.

"Do I smell sausages?" Danny asked happily as he sat down all prepared to dig in. Ward and Claire soon joined them and Colleen passed out plates for each of them. There were biscuits, a couple of omelet bagels, sausage links, pancakes, and coffee spread out around the table. They all grabbed at the food they wanted and started eating in silence.

"Why is Ward going to the meeting? He'll be noticed. I should go to the meeting instead." Joy suddenly intruded.

"You need to keep things running smoothly at Rand. I've missed so much work these past two weeks, that I don't know what is going on. Not enough to keep our Board of Directors at bay and happy."

Joy pouted slightly. She was out of the loop and all their plans and discussions from the night before had only confused her more. She really didn't like being left out, not when it felt like they all knew something that she didn't. She wanted to play a bigger role in whatever was happening, but she couldn't deny the logic of Ward's statement. "Okay. But he will be recognized, unless that's your intention."

Claire gave Ward a look over. Both he and Joy were recognizable people in the city, especially within the business world. However, Ward was notorious for being one of the richest and sexiest bachelor's in the city, even if he tried to deny it. The media didn't hound his every move, but he was still a prominent figure in the city. Joy was right, he'd be seen. While it wouldn't be unheard of for the CEO of Rand to look into and have a meeting with one of their business partners. For their plan to work it would be better if Ward remained anonymous.

"Don't worry about that." Colleen grinned,"I have a plan for that."

Ward swallowed a mouthful of his breakfast and gazed uncertainly at Colleen's smirk.

"Danny." Claire gained his attention. "The Hand is dangerous. I can't stop you from going after them; I know that. But you need to be really careful. They are incredibly powerful and they operate within the shadows. I personally think it's foolhardy to declare war on them." She sighed,"Just watch yourself."

"I'll have his back." Colleen spoke, smiling fondly at Danny. "We'll be fine Claire."

* * *

 

Ward grimaced as he walked into the building, preparing to gather information on people his company was apparently in bed with.

_**If Harold had done something terrible to Rand...**_ Ward sighed.

It's not like it would come as a big surprise and Harold had done a lot worse. Things that were unforgivable. The makeup Colleen had put on him, along with the fake beard was uncomfortable. She had also gone shopping with him and set him up with a clothing style he was not comfortable with. He had felt exposed, but thankfully his arms didn't have as many cuts and bruises as his back, chest, and sides. His shoulder bruise was still prominent, so he had been surprised when she didn't make a comment about it. The black tank top still made him self conscious and he had complained the entire time Colleen painted fake tattoo's on both of his arms. He stopped himself from itching at his fake sleeve tat's, and proceeded forward. Ward looked and felt like an escaped convict, but he admitted that he even had trouble recognizing himself in the mirror.

As soon as Ward made it to the room, he hesitated before he opened the door. He didn't know what he expected or why he was so nervous. He'd conducted thousand's of meetings before. This wasn't an average meeting, however Ward walked in assuming his previous experiences in past conferences would have more then made up for his anxiety going in blind. He was faced by a young blonde woman, dressed in a navy blues, her skirt going down to her mid thigh, and her boobs were practically popping out of her top. He chastised himself, on how ridiculously dressed he was. He supposed it couldn't be helped, anything close to his style of clothing would have given him away. He took a seat in front of her and at once he began to feel antsy under her scrutiny. It made him appear jumpy and agitated. Spotting the faintest trace of a smile on the blonde's face gave him a clue. So she was expecting those kinds of clients. It didn't put his mind at ease, but did help him formulate some sort of intel and strategy to proceed forward. He had his own problems with pills. Pills. He couldn't remember the last time he had any pills, not since Danny walked back into his life and they had started getting closer. A few days probably wasn't anything to boast about, but he hadn't even felt the urge or itch to take more.

Did Danny give him the strength to overcome his habit? Ward didn't know. Things were crazy though, and they hadn't slowed down one bit since Danny came back. There had been no time to take any or even think about them. Thinking about it now only made his injuries feel ten times worse. Ward had a bad feeling about where this was headed. The businessman that he was could sense her glee, as though it was going to be an easy sell and maybe it was. He couldn't begin to guess at what her tactics were or even what she was selling. He had ideas, but knew not to assume anything. He was sticking it out, because Danny needed him to, because Danny needed to know more about what The Hand was doing in Rand. And frankly, Ward wanted to know who Harold was doing business with and what mess his father had created for him, Joy, Danny and the company in general.

The blonde crossed her legs purposely, to get his eyes to focus down before his eyes snapped back up to her face. It was a dirty tactic, and Ward had to go along with the ruse. He licked at his lips nervously. "I'm sure you've dragged me to this warehouse for a reason."

Bending over, clearly showing her exposed cleavage, Ward glanced away uncomfortably. While he still wasn't sure if things were official between Danny and himself, and he didn't know how long they'd be together. A part of him felt like he was cheating on Danny already, that he was already screwing up their relationship. After using her assets, all of them, to get him engaged, she finally opened a briefcase, and he leaned forward ever so slightly to get a better look at what was inside. It definitely looked like drugs of some kind. His eyes zeroed in on two small icons on the bottle. One he didn't recognize, but the second belonged to Pond Incorporated. He briefly wondered if they were a branch of The Hand, partners working with them, or if their company had been taken over by The Hand, much like Rand was currently undergoing. While he was contemplating these thoughts and how far in the shithole Harold put Rand in, when he caught up that she had been talking to him about the product she was trying to sell to him.

"...synthesized opiate, offering security and versatility. Pills, patch, powder, drops. It's 100% pure, 100% of the time. Boasting a faster absorption rate, a slower metabolic rate and the most exciting part, the CP450 liver enzyme inhibitor. Which prevents the human body from ever building a tolerance to it. So, as you can see, the value of this particular heroin is unprecedented."

_Oh great, super heroin_ , Ward thought sarcastically in his head. What's the point of selling drugs in the city? What did The Hand gain by it? "And I'm just suppose to take your word for it?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. It was a fair question and one he'd ask if he were having this meeting **AS** Ward Meachum and not undercover.

It was the direction, the Blonde was hoping they would take in her presentation, judging by the smile that started to form on her face. This only made Ward more skeptical. In her hand she held a clear patch and he eyed it with almost a disinterested face. "That's suppose to impress me?"

"You want results, I can give them to you. I'm prepared to give you a demonstration."

Ward gave a scan of the immediate vicinity expecting someone else to pop out to provide this demonstration for him. But there was only her and himself in the large room and that smug smile had not vanished. "You're wise to not take my word for it, so I'll give you a sample."

Ward felt the first beads of sweat form on his forehead. He needed more information, otherwise, he would have left then and there. He did shrink in his chair, when she stood up and sauntered closer to him. "No." Ward finally stated, when she was close enough to slap him the patch. "I'm a dealer. I buy and sell this stuff, I don't sample it on the side."

"Oh honey." She flipped her hair with her free hand before she grabbed a hold of his wrist. "You're not fooling anybody. I know withdrawal when I see it." She was quick to place the patch on his arm and he whined softly in the back of his throat. He didn't want it, but she had given it to him anyway.

Nothing happened at first, but then he felt it. He gripped the chair as a wave of pure bliss just about knocked him over. A few gasps and groans fell passed his lips, his head fell backwards onto the back of the chair and his eyes rolled up. All his pain dulled and was replaced with shocks of ecstasy. Thoughts of how bad this was, was now an after thought. He felt too good and he never wanted it to end.

* * *

 

Making it back into the Rand building was a chore. His own employee's didn't recognize him and had tried to bar him from his own building. He had the one fleeting thought of karma, and something about how Danny must have felt when he first came back. But like all his recent thoughts, it came and zoomed on by on a whim. His random thoughts were interspersed with this electrical undercurrent of ecstasy. Ward found it tough to care how the workers at Rand saw him or if he was making a scene. Floating on by, he soon made it to the elevator and up to where his office was. Presumably, because it was second nature to him. There was no conscious thought going into his actions, and he finally made it to his level, to where Joy, and Danny were waiting.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Ward's unkempt appearance caused quite a stir. There were a few stares, but someone had yelled to get security on the line. For whatever reason, Ward had thought that was the funniest thing and couldn't stop laughing as he made his way to his office. He didn't make it, before Danny and Joy came rushing out to see what all the commotion was about. Joy gasped in shock and backed away, extremely scared of the intruder... **ANOTHER** intruder in their building. Her hand went to Danny's shoulder, and even as high as he felt, Ward still felt bitterness over the simple gesture; his laughter a thing of the past. Danny stood in front of her, like a stalwart protector, but his hard stare soon softened.

"Ward?" He questioned and in response, Ward's lips quirked upwards. Danny matched his grin with one of his own and abandoned Joy. "That's one hell of a disguise Colleen gave you." He gave Ward an awkward embrace, uncertain how Ward would feel with all those eyes on them.

Joy was still looking at him critically. Why hadn't she recognized her own brother? "Ward?" She finally asked, before she walked around the two men, to the bustle of activity on their floor. "Cancel security. Everything's fine. This man...he's here for an appointment with our new board member."

Once Joy had moved passed them and her eyes were no longer glaring at him, Ward grabbed Danny roughly by his shirt and started kissing him. Taken by surprise, Danny flailed for a millisecond before he gripped Ward and kissed him back. Hands were in each others hair, bodies were close and Danny felt Ward's tongue ghost against his bottom lip. He couldn't get enough of Ward and they really hadn't had much time to actually talk, kiss, or explore what was happening between them. Though Danny took it as a good sign that Ward was willing to kiss him in his very public place of work. He groaned softly when he felt Ward's hard on rub against his thigh and had to pull away. He was tingling all over and if he didn't put a stop to it then, the top floor would be getting more then a show of two men kissing. Even after they stopped kissing, Danny felt an odd stirring in the pit of his stomach. He could still feel Ward's arousal and it took most of his concentration to stop his own desire.

"Ward. I'm happy to see you too." He was chuckling and that seemed to keep Ward from going after his lips again.

Joy, who had caught the tail end of their little scene, was not amused and started pushing them into the office. "Let's keep this meeting behind closed doors and away from prying eyes. Alright?"

Danny saw all the eyes on them and did what Joy suggested by dragging Ward into the office with him. Joy followed and locked the door behind them as well as closing the blinds. "What the hell was that? I think you're taking your undercover role a bit too far Ward."

Danny sighed but a hand rubbing up his thigh made him groan softly. "Joy...It's not like we were running through the building naked. I've seen how stressful this job makes both of you. Ward's entitled to some fun. So are you."

She kept her stare on Ward, unable to look away from Ward's wandering hands or the look of happiness on his face. The blonde grabbed Ward's hand in his, to keep Ward from exploring too far up. "So what did you learn?"

"Learn?" Ward snorted.

"Yes. At the meeting." Danny questioned softly, his brows beginning to knit in confusion. "The meeting...well they're about to hit the market with some very illegal....super drugs." They're..." He sobered for a second when he gazed over to Joy. "They're using that pier you managed to nab."

Though Joy heard him, she knew that look. The glazed over eyes, the slight tilt of his head, his silly grin. Now that her jealousy wasn't fixated on his wandering hands and Danny's equally excited exploring, she saw how dialated his pupils were. Danny was distracted by Ward, but he did give surrepticious stares over at Ward, like he could sense something was different or off about him; he just couldn't put his finger on it. Joy was quick to get between them, old habits kicking in to protect Ward's dirty little habit.

"Danny, you need to get Colleen on the phone. Now that you have the information you need, you and Colleen can decide on the next course of action. While you're doing that, I need to talk to Ward alone."

Danny wasn't about to argue with her when he knew that she was right. He squeezed Ward's hand, on his way out. He did turn and give Joy a firm stare. "Please tell me you're going to fix whatever problems the two of you have."

There was an irritated frown on her face. She had a lot of problems with Ward, but the persistent one this time was petty jealousy. She spent her entire childhood attached to Danny, flirting with Danny. She thought she'd marry him one day, until he died. When he returned all her silly childhood fantasizes came back, compounded with adult themes. She wanted what she use to have with Danny and wanted that flirtatious, _will it go somewhere?_ , relationship back. And Ward, of all people, beat her to it. It was stupid, and childish; she knew that, but she had always thought the two hated each other. It was a shock and she still couldn't wrap her mind around the two of them. "I...I'll try."

"Thanks Joy. You two are the most important people in my life. I want you both to be happy." His tone was lighter as he left them to it.

Joy licked at her lips and pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to brace herself to face Ward in his state. "Ward." She spoke, as she finally turned towards him. Only he was no longer by the door, he was walking, though the correct term was more along the lines of swaying, to the couch in the back of his office. "Ward." She went quickly over to him so he wouldn't fall and cursed herself for falling back into the trap, back into old habits. Still she helped him to the couch and he sat down with a thud.

Grabbing the side of his face, she attempted to get him to focus on her. "Hey, what did you take? What happened after the meeting? Please tell me you didn't dose up before the meeting."

"I...I didn't take anything." Ward stammered, his gaze unclear as he looked around the room.

"Bullshit. What happened?"

Her tone served to sober him, slightly, as he winced and squinted his eyes. "She...uhh...The woman at the meeting injected me with that...new drug."

Joy narrowed her eyes, unsure why anyone would drug their potential business partner during a meeting. Either Ward was lying or he had blown his cover and screwed up their plan somehow. A part of her, the jealous vindictive part, couldn't help but to insert a small jab at him. "She gave you the drug? Don't you mean, you begged her for it?"

"...No?" Ward's brows furrowed, though a small smirk did find its way onto his face. _It didn't happen that way, did it?_

"You cannot start taking random drugs off the streets or from strangers. You have no idea what you're doing to yourself or to those who love you."

"Mmm...I'm fine." Ward's eyes softened as he looked at her, and for a split second Joy wanted to forgive him for everything that he's done and put her through.

She wanted to drop everything and help him kick his addiction. She wanted her big brother back, she wanted Danny out of the picture so she could have her big brother back. She abruptly stood up and backed away from him. "Well that makes one of us. I may not be in the loop, but I've heard enough from Danny, Colleen and Claire. We have problems here, and we're all going to need you to be in your right mind to help fix them." She sighed, and added in a softer voice. "I need you to be in your right mind. I need you to be okay."

Laughter escaped him, and Ward found he could not stop. He wouldn't remember later, but he found her concern for him hilarious. "That's rich coming from you."

That had cut deeper then she thought it would. "Why are you doing this to yourself Ward?"

"Doing it to him."

"Who? Danny?" Her voice was dangerously more serious. She didn't like the thought of Ward and Danny together, but if this was what Danny had to look forward to, then Danny deserved better. She didn't hear Ward shushing her, or see Ward's eyes flick back and forth. Even as drugged as he was, he innately knew Harold's eyes were still on him, still watching. Always. "You don't deserve someone as good as Danny."

Ward's scanning of the room was interrupted by Joy's voice and he felt tears sting his eyes. He may have been out of his head and all over the place, but he still felt how badly those words hurt. What's worse, he couldn't argue with her. Danny deserved someone far better then him, far better then he ever could be.

Guilt hit Joy once more, and when she saw a single tear fall from the corner of Ward's eye she knelt back down beside the couch. She resisted reaching out to Ward, there was too big of a gap between them now, and too many hurtful gestures and words between them to just sweep it all under the rug. Plus, she admitted that she always got a little fearful of what Ward might do to her whenever she found him in these states. "What's your deal with Danny anyway? You've always hated him."

There was silence. "Is that what you thought?"

"But it's true. I watched you two growing up. He always wanted to get your approval, and never measured up. You. You were so mean to him. Now suddenly, he comes back from the dead and you two can't keep your hands to yourselves? I don't understand."

"Why would you?" Ward scoffed. "I kept you as far away, both of you as far away as possible. What would you know of me or my feelings?"

"What...are you even talking about?" Joy asked. She suspected that Ward kept her emotionally away from him for a long time, though she couldn't explain why. She always thought it was a subconscious male thing, but had Ward done it consciously? Why? "You aren't actually sitting there telling me that you have secretly liked Danny when we were growing up."

"Closet secrets." Ward giggled with a finger to his mouth as though he were in fact telling a secret. His head was swimming, but he knew how he felt and that's all that mattered. He spent most of his childhood denying it, fighting against it; a part of him was still maintaining his distance. He was just grateful Danny was so persistent, or else he'd have kept on pushing Danny away.

* * *

 

_The party was everything he had expected and he was hating every minute of it. However, at least he wasn't celebrating his fifteenth birthday under the watchful gaze of Harold. His father had still left his mark though. A forced celebration of his birthday, just the two of them. He shuddered at his place in the kitchen. His lower half was still sore, his legs were stiff, and his sides were in agony. Harold had held him in place, and Ward didn't need to check his hips to know he had bruises there. Five man shaped bruises on both sides where Harold's fingers had dug in. Harold's mark, a lingering impression that even among friends he was still there. It kept him isolated and most of the guests were already too drunk to notice him. This party was just an excuse to get away from their parents and get drunk; it being Ward's birthday was just a convenience._

_The house was someone's parents house, and their parents were on a cruise or something-point was, they'd have the house to themselves all weekend. Ward didn't intend to be there that long. He wasn't even sure he was going to stay the night. He watched silently as some drunk boys started flinging chips at each other around the kitchen. There were a couple of horny teenagers off to the sides kissing and grinding against one another. Not able to take it anymore, Ward wandered into the livingroom expecting to see much of the same things. He did, but he also saw a small gathering that stole his attention. There was chanting and the others were egging someone on to drink alcohol and Ward couldn't help but to roll his eyes at their antics. Could this place be anymore of a cliche? A bubbly giggle stopped Ward from leaving the livingroom._

_"Seriously...I don't feel any different."_

_The speech was slurred, but he knew that voice. He pushed passed the crowd and found Danny Rand sitting on the couch. His face was flushed and there was an empty beer can in his hand. His glazed over eyes lit up when he saw Ward there. "Ward! I came to celebrate your birthday with you. You know how to party."_

_"Isn't that sweet?" Cooed a soft soprano voice. Charlotte._

_She was the Queen Bee of her grade and was two years older then Ward. He may have been one of the popular students, but his recent anti-social behavior was beginning to make him a pariah among his social group. He was annoyed and he let her know it. "What the hell did you do to him? He's ten years old. You let him drink?"_

_Charlotte pouted,"It's a party isn't it?"_

_"He's too young Charlotte. What the hell is wrong with you?" But he knew. She was just as drunk as the rest of the people in the house._

_An airy giggle came from her lips,"Calm down, dad."_

_Ward knelt down in front of Danny as he checked him over, made him drop his beer can and then grabbed a hold of his hand. "Come on Danny. I'll take you home."_

_"But-" Danny started but Charlotte cut him off. "I think you need to stay here and relax a little."_

_She rightfully suspected that Ward hadn't had a single cup of beer yet. She pushed him down onto the couch and pain instantly shot up his spine. He panted through his nose, and bottled the rest inside. "You look like you need this."_

_A beer was thrust into his hand and the pain compounded with his own emotional turmoil, he didn't hesitate to drink it down. Danny giggled at Ward as he swayed on his feet. He was worried about the effect the alcohol had on Danny and how much he drank. But Charlotte was the type of girl that got what she wanted. He wasn't going to be able to leave the party with Danny anytime soon. Charlotte, even drunk, noticed the lingering gazes Danny kept shooting Ward. He hunkered down beside Ward,"This is so cool. Can we do this every year on your birthday?"_

_A sudden thought hit him. "Please tell me you didn't drag Joy down here with you." He didn't want to think the worst of his classmates, but he didn't trust them not to take advantage of his younger sister._

_Danny squirmed,"I...came alone." One less thing to worry about._

_"Times up!" Charlotte hollered._

_The crowd congregated over to a closet and when it was opened two teens stood there making out and groping each other. Ward was quick to shield Danny from the scene, as if he hadn't seen and noticed the countless couples grinding against each other already._

_"What's going on?" Danny asked inquisitively._

_Charlotte turned around with a devious smile on her face. "I've got an idea. Let's have Danny go next."_

_"Your sick." Ward chimed in. "Danny, we're leaving."_

_"Don't you want to play Danny?"_

_"Yeah. I love games. What do I do?"_

_"All you have to do is put this blindfold on and go into the closet."_

_Danny may have said no, if he was thinking more clearly, but he wasn't. He shrugged off Ward's hand and hurriedly got into the closet with the blindfold on. "Someone is going to get trapped in there with you and they'll be able to do whatever they want with you. Have fun."_

_Danny swallowed uneasily when he heard the door close. Ward grabbed Charlotte and spun her around to face him. "What is wrong with you? He's ten. Don't you think you make his life miserable enough at school already?"_

_She slapped him hard,"Don't you ever touch me again." After he had dropped his hold on her, she looked around. "Why don't we have the birthday boy have a go?"_

_His eyes narrowed, but she matched his challenge with a glare of her own. "It doesn't matter what you do to Danny. By this time tomorrow, I'll make sure the whole school knows how gay you are for young boys. Pervert." She clicked her tongue. "You never should have strayed from our group, Ward."_

_This was punishment for committing social suicide. He stopped thinking like them, stopped acting like them, and now he was getting ousted in the worst possible way and dragging Danny down with him. He could only hope Danny would bounce back, he was young enough. His body was stiff as he made his way to the closet, enduring the catcalling and whistles along the way. Opening the closet, he could help but see Danny's body stiffen as well. The door closed behind him and he heard the lock as well as giggles. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Danny stood there awkwardly. He was going to keep his distance until Charlotte let him out, that would have been the safe thing to do. But when Danny bit his lip and began to self-hug himself, Ward couldn't stop himself. He got closer and lightly touched Danny's cheek._

_The blonde jumped slightly. "Please. I-I...know this is a game, but I..." Danny swallowed, unsure if he should continue. "I'm waiting for someone special."_

_Ward wondered if that someone was his sister. It was a cute, innocent love, and Ward prayed for Danny's safety that it'd stay that way for a few years. He liked Danny, despite his behavior stating otherwise, but he'd beat him up if Danny laid a hand on his sister. He really didnt like the thought of Danny and Joy getting physical, but he had a few years before he had to worry about that. "Don't worry Danny. You'll be able to save yourself for Joy. Years from now."_

_"Ward?" Danny whispered as he took the blindfold off._

_"I'll keep you safe Danny. We're heading home once they let us out of here."_

_Danny wrapped his arms around Ward's waist and buried his head in the taller boys chest. Ward sucked in a breath as pain spread through his lower body. Danny started to lift up Ward's shirt. "Are...are you hurt again?"_

_Ward struggled and finally was able to keep Danny from seeing the marks. "Ward?" Danny's voice was so soft and concerned that tears started coming to Ward's eyes. He spent years bullying Danny, keeping him at arms length, resenting Danny for making him like him and resenting himself for being just like Harold. But there it was. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around him, feel his hair and to see what it was like to kiss him. He was his fathers son and it made him sick to his stomach. He pushed a hurt and confused Danny away. The only way he could protect Danny from himself, from Harold was to continue keeping him at arms length. "I'm fine, Danny."_

_"Did...you fall again?" His voice was meek, not sure himself if he bought the falling excuse. Though the alcohol kept him unsteady on his feet and his head fuzzy._

_**He hurts me Danny** , was all he had to say and he tried. If he had more alcohol in him, then maybe. Instead, tears fell from his eyes and Danny couldn't help but to reach out and wipe them off his cheeks. "You didn't fall." It was a statement._

_Danny didn't need a confirmation, but Ward found he couldn't even give Danny what he already knew. When Ward fell to his knees, Danny joined him and the two of them hugged each other tightly. Ward found himself burying his face in the crook of Danny's neck and was overwhelmed by how badly he wanted to kiss those lips. This was dangerous. They were both intoxicated; Ward less so, and he was so close to taking advantage of young Danny. He didn't want to, he couldn't, not after what his father did to him. He wanted to prove how unlike Harold he was, not how alike they were. He felt Danny nuzzle him and sigh in contentment. Ward's mouth went dry and he almost missed what Danny had said._

_"I...I'm not saving myself for Joy. I'm....I've been wanting...waiting for you."_

_Ward's crying stopped and he blinked against Danny's neck. He didn't think he had heard Danny correctly until Danny pulled away and stared deeply into his eyes. When his eyes dipped down to his lips, there was no way for Ward to misinterpret that. "Danny." Ward spoke softly, as he held him at arms length. "We can't." He saw the devastation on Danny's face and spoke more quickly. "Maybe when you're older."_

_Danny was still pouting, so Ward risked leaning in and resting his forehead against Danny's. The blonde smiled to himself before giving Ward big, round eyes. "You owe me. You owe me a birthday kiss, and I'm going to give you a birthday kiss, too." The beer gave Danny more confidence then he would've had originally._

_He swallowed uneasily when faced with that little fact. He couldn't exactly argue with it either, he had implied a few months ago that he'd give Danny one birthday wish, which seemed to be a kiss. However, it seemed more innocent back then. Not now, with beer running through systems, locked in a closet with half the school just outside ready and waiting to spread rumors. What was he going to do about that? He didn't care what Charlotte and her posse did to him, but there had to be a way to keep Danny out of it, to keep him safe._

_"Tomorrow." He traced a finger along the side of Danny's face. "When we're both sober." Danny shivered under Ward's touch. "Please, remember this in the morning, please."_

_The moment Danny started to shake his head, a flash of sickness overcame him. "I don't feel so good, Ward."_

_**Oh shit** , was all Ward thought before Danny got sick right there in the closet._

* * *

 

"Closet..." Joy trailed off rolling her eyes. "You're not in the closet Ward. You're screaming it through the halls of your work place."

"Shhhhh." Ward tried to get Joy to keep her voice down.

"It doesn't matter Ward. You'll never convince me that you've always had feelings for Danny. And you're not going to convince me that you care about him now. If you're using him..." She shook her head.

"He'll hear you." Ward tried again to keep her quiet, as he looked around the room.

Joy gave Ward a perplexed and frightened look. For the first time, he was scaring her. She got up and at once began searching through his desk. Once she found the pill jar, she threw it at Ward's lap. "I was right. Danny doesn't deserve you. He deserves-"

"Someone like you?" Ward snapped. He had caught on to her jealousy and was just drugged enough to call her out on it.

"I didn't say that. But look at yourself. You're a mess. You've always been a mess and that's never going to change."

"I'll just dump him then so you can swoop in."

"If you actually care about him, you'll do the right thing. You're in no condition to be dating anyone."

"Says my darling sister who was desperately trying to whore me out to your friends less than a week ago. But now that I'm suddenly dating a guy you want to date. I need to stop dating altogether."

Anger, hot and quick, rushed to Joy's face. Ward felt queasy, seeing too much of Harold in that face and recoiled when he saw Joy's hands curl into fists. She didn't throw a punch at him, but she did abruptly storm out, slamming the door and leaving him in silence.

* * *

 

It was dark when they arrived at the pier. Colleen stood by his side, and together they used the darkness to get close to the shipment containers. With Ward's intel, Danny was convinced they were transporting the drugs in the containers all around them. He hoped it was just the drugs they were smuggling in and out, but he wouldn't be surprised if it was anything worse. He knew what The Hand was capable of and he couldn't rule anything out. Still, he wasn't a monster, he needed confirmation before he started dishing out judgement.

He motioned to Colleen and with her help he was able to open one of the cargo containers. There was nothing there but normal supplies, everything you'd expect to be in a legitimate business. Colleen gazed into the container with a small glare. "What is this? There's nothing here Danny."

"Then we'll try another one."

"We should leave." Colleen spoke sincerely, as she peeked her head back out to see if any of the guards were nearby. "There's nothing here, Ward was wrong."

"No. I trust Ward, and I trust his intel. He's sure they're dealing in illegal drugs, and I know from what I've read at Rand that something is very wrong at this pier. We keep looking."

They crept around and tried two more cargo containers, with no luck. That is, until Danny noticed a couple trucks that had pulled up. There were two guys around it, but if they got their timing correct, they'd be able to sneak aboard and find out what was in the boxes, what they were hiding. She followed his line of sight and shook her head, but he was already on the move and she reluctantly tagged along. Getting onto the truck was easy and once there, they found a bunch of boxes packed in. Colleen used her sword to open one, hoping they'd find something worthwhile, she didn't have as much faith in Ward as Danny did. Packets fell out and Danny saw the symbol of The Hand on every single one. "Drugs? This...is too much for just one city. Are they shipping it out globally? What do they hope to achieve with this?"

Danny didn't have any answers. But that was a lot of lives that would be affected by The Hand's operation, a lot of people that would be indebted to the shadow organization. And currently, Rand seemed to be at the center of it all. Colleen grabbed one of the packets and put it in her pocket. "Can't leave empty handed." A noise from further in the truck had startled them and a man emerged to see what was happening. He was an older man with graying hair.

"Who are you?" He asked, but his curious expression quickly turned to one of fear. "No. No you can't be here. You must leave at once."

Just then a hand grabbed Colleen around her throat and pulled her backwards. She was startled, but she was able to handle it easily, and he wound up on the ground clutching at his chest. Quickly, she readied her sword, and Danny moved out of the truck. Footsteps approached them and they knew they'd have to fight their way off of the pier. They held their own, though Danny didn't have any doubts in either of their abilities.

"Should have known you would have become a target as soon as you became a billionaire overnight."

Danny dodged a dagger flying at his face. _**Now** , she wanted to talk now?!_ "Who says I wasn't a target before that?"

She sighed out in frustration and brought her sword down on the foolish man that had lunged forward in attack. "I knew I never should have gotten involved with you Danny."

"You regret it?" Danny asked over his shoulder as he spun to avoid an attack and then went on the offensive.

"Not one bit." There was a strong gasp and then she yelled out in warning. "DANNY! He's got a machine gun."

Her warning came swift enough and he avoided the gunfire, before he took him out with his iron fist. However, she had been left vulnerable and open to attack. One of the men got a decent hit on the back of her head and she went down. He spun around, fury in his eyes, and rushed to her attacker. "Colleen." They traded blows, a kick, and punch, some fancy footwork, flips, but he went down.

Danny wiped at his bloodied lip, made a scan of the area, and then scooped Colleen up into his arms and began running. He needed to get them out of there, but he had to make sure Colleen was okay. The second he was in cover and concealed, he gently set her down and felt for a pulse. She had a strong one, and he cupped her face between his hands. "Colleen." He whispered. "Come on. Wake up."

Sluggishly, her eyes opened and a smile spread across her lips as she stared at Danny. Into his eyes, at his lips. His hands were against her cheeks and one of her hands rose up and joined his. "Hey. You saved me." She caressed his hand and sighed happily when she felt his fingers rub softly against her face.

"You scared the hell out of me." He searched her eyes. "I think you may have a concussion."

"I must. I'm seeing two of you."

He gave her a small smile. "We'll go see Claire, and continue our investigation tomorrow. Do you think you can walk....or run if need be? We're still in enemy territory, so to speak."

She hid her disappointment when his hands left and he was no longer touching her. "Yeah. Yeah, I can make it to safety, but not much further then that."

He helped her up and while their hands were interlaced, she pretended to stumble and fell into his side. Danny was quick to put his arm around her and she felt so much better just feel his strong presence by her side. "Thanks."

"We're in this together, Colleen. You didn't have to come with me, this isn't your fight and you don't know me that well. But you still chose to help me and be here with me."

"Of course. For better or worse, I am involved now. We're here for each other and you can always count on me."

"Don't forget Ward and Joy." He spoke as they cautiously made their way through the maze of cargo containers. Danny missed the frown, only hearing the soft acknowledging reply. He hadn't intended to bring the Meachums or others into the battle that followed him from K'un Lun, or the battle over the Rand company, but he was grateful to have found a group of people he could count on and consider family.

* * *

 

Kyle came scrambling around the corner when he heard a few crashes against the far wall. His boss was in distress and he wanted to know what was wrong and if he could help in some way. He spotted one of Harold's monitors on and saw Joy and Ward on display. Harold quickly turned them off as soon as he noted Kyle had walked in. But he had seen. Kyle knew Harold was either distressed over his separation from Joy, or the more likely option was that Ward had done something that pissed off Harold. "Is...there anything I can do to help, sir?" Kyle asked, his eyes surveying the- broken glass scattered along the floor.

Harold's dark eyes rested upon Kyle, and once again he felt the conflicting mixture of fear and arousal. He was stunned to the spot as Harold stood up and converged on Kyle. When Harold said nothing, except to raise his hand up in a threatening way, Kyle squeaked out. "Was it...something Ward did?"

Harold practically growled out in disgust. "My idiot son."

His hand curled around Kyle's neck and the elated gasp pleased Harold. It wasn't the same as Ward and Harold wasn't nearly as mad or horny to even pretend, but it was a nice and easy substitute. "He's going behind my back with Danny, and damning the consequences. I know he is now. His defiance will not go unpunished."

Harold knew he had threatened Ward that he'd go after Danny, but he still needed the blonde. Besides he had a fair idea of what Danny's new capabilities were like. He had no desire to go up against Danny, not yet.

"He'll come crawling back to me soon enough, trust me. However, I have more pressing concerns to deal with. Ward will have to wait."

"What concerns?" Kyle asked softly, leaning into the hand around his throat.

"Joy was attacked." The pressure increased, but Kyle wasn't the one that he wanted to kill. Finally, he backed off.

Once Kyle recovered, he rubbed at his neck. "Is there anything you can do?"

"Yes." Harold said ominously.

 


End file.
